


Finding Home

by Jacklyn_Flynn



Series: Briall X Zevran [7]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Can't keep their hands off each other, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, How do you write Zev and not write smut?, Loghain is still causing trouble from the grave, Long Lost Family, Much smut as well, Nolan is a mini Alistair, Porn With Plot, Shameless Smut, Some fighting too, Sweet Zevran Arainai, Wedding <3, Wedding Night, Zev is a sneaky bastard, a l'il bit 'o butt stuff, just a bit, trying new things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:07:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 26,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22037527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacklyn_Flynn/pseuds/Jacklyn_Flynn
Summary: Finally, one morning she’d had enough. She was sitting in another meeting with Alistair and his advisors. They were discussing what foods to put on the menu for the reception. She was already looking at five different invitation types set out in front of her. This wasn't what she wanted at all. Briall and Alistair devise a plan to sneak out of Denerim once Zevran returns to give her the wedding she truly wants.Zevran returns, but with news that throws off their plans slightly. He's found her family and they want to meet her.
Relationships: Zevran Arainai/Female Surana, Zevran Arainai/Female Warden, Zevran Arainai/Surana, Zevran Arainai/Warden
Series: Briall X Zevran [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1288685
Comments: 18
Kudos: 27





	1. The Decision

**Author's Note:**

> I've wanted to write this one for a while! I don't know how many chapters it will be...three or four at least. Hopefully it will keep your attention!

The wedding of the Hero of Ferelden was just the event that would bring everyone out of the despair of the Blight. A bright ray of happiness the whole country could rally behind amid the construction of memorials and reconstruction of homes. 

Alistair was the new king. She was the Hero of Ferelden. Aside from the coronation, there could be no grander event to show the strength of Ferelden and its resolve to rebuild. And yet as more and more plans by the royal advisers came to be she realized this wasn't the wedding that she wanted at all. It was hard after the Blight had ended. Everybody wanted their attention. 

The problem was that she wasn't used to all of the attention. None of them were. They had traveled alone during the Blight and gone relatively unrecognized from day to day. And yet, everybody wanted to attend the wedding. People she didn’t know who claimed to be close to her or have helped her in some way. It was a status symbol. 

Finally, one morning she’d had enough. She was sitting in another meeting with Alistair and his advisors. They were discussing what foods to put on the menu for the reception. She was already looking at five different invitation types set out in front of her, all of them proudly displaying that Briall Surana, the Hero of Ferelden would be marrying. Zevran’s name was on the invitation, but in a much smaller font on all five options. 

She’d already told them that was unacceptable. These were the revisions. His name in a slightly larger print, but still relatively small. Suddenly, the knot she'd ignored in her stomach during all of those wedding preparation meetings couldn’t be ignored anymore. 

She set down the paper with a thud on the table and looked at Alistair. He was rearranging flowers in a vase like he was going to do them for the wedding personally. 

“I don't want to do this anymore.” She said quietly. It was meant for Alistair alone. The other advisors-turned-wedding planners were busy arguing over the best material for her dress and how long her veil should be. 

He looked up at her sharply. “You don't want to get married?” He asked, shocked. 

“No.” She said quickly, firmly. “I definitely want to get married. I don't-” She paused, waving a hand over the giant table filled with invitations and ribbons and plates of food to sample. Small bites of cake half eaten beside glasses of the finest wines from all over Thedas. 

“I don't want to do this anymore. This isn't what I want at all.” Alistair set the flowers aside and sat down beside her. He took her hand gently, holding it between his own. 

“Then, why are we even here?” Leave it to Alistair to find such a blunt solution. It was his way of telling her he didn’t care about the event he was supposed to provide as king. It was her wedding and that was all that mattered. What she wanted. 

Clearly the monarchy thing hadn’t gone to his head yet. Any other king might have tried to encourage her to use this as a political event. A way to bolster both of their statuses. Alistair was completely committed to getting his friend, his sister, the wedding she wanted. And if it wasn't this then he wasn't on board either. “What do you want then?” He asked gently 

“Well, the best memories of my life have been outside, after the Circle. Ever since I left the tower and met you and Zevran and everyone else, we’ve always been outside. It’s always just been us. The idea of a bunch of people I don’t know... I don't know. It's not how I pictured myself getting married. I mean, I never pictured myself getting married at all, but now that I am, I don't want it to be a big deal.” She could feel tears in her eyes at all of the frustration she’d been holding back. 

“It should be about us. I’m getting married. Not the Hero of Ferelden. Zevran isn’t just a footnote! But, I also feel like I owe this to people. Isn’t it my job? To get all dressed up and be a symbol of hope?” She asked quietly.

“No.” Alistair said firmly, squeezing her hand. “You don’t owe anyone anything. You saved them from an Arch Demon. You ended the Blight. What more could you possibly owe anyone? If anything, they owe you!” 

Before he’d left, Zevran had tried to convince her to do a small affair with just a few of them. Those who could be rallied from the corners of the world they’d scattered to. But Alastair's advisors had already made such a big deal out of the wedding that she'd gotten swept up in it. She felt like it was her duty because they’d all but told her it was. 

But Alistair was right. She’d done her duty. 

Zevran was right. This was for them.

“Well,” Alistair said softly. “Zev’s getting back later today, right?” 

“As long as he wasn’t delayed, yes." She confirmed, glancing at the door as if she expected him to walk in at the mention of his name.

“Okay. So go pack.” He said simply.

“For what?” Briall asked. 

“For your wedding. We'll go to some of the shops in town and get you a cute dress and whatever else you want. We’ll be packed and ready when Zevran get’s back.” He laid out the plan succinctly.

“You can’t leave. You’re the king.” Briall said quickly so that no one else would hear that he was planning on skipping town.

"I am the King." Alistair agreed. "I can travel anywhere I want to. But you know, that's the great thing about being a new king. I don't know all the rules yet, so I can just say I didn't know I wasn't allowed.” Briall laughed and shrugged by way of agreement. “Besides, how could I possibly be safer than with the master assassin Zevran Arainai and the Hero of Ferelden herself. Besides, I helped too. I wasn’t just a helpless tagalong the whole time. I wasn’t, was I?” 

“No, you weren’t.” She promised him with a smile. “Alright, you don’t have to convince me anymore.”

“Okay. Let’s just forget all this stuff. I'll go change into something a little bit less...King-y. You go change it to something a little less Hero of Ferelden-y and we'll go shopping for a dress.” He was beaming at the idea. 

“Is this really happening?” She asked softly. 

“Sure is, Bri.” He stood and urged her up with their still connected hands. He kissed the back of it gently before releasing her. “Anything for you, you know that right?” 

She couldn't help but smile. “You really are the best brother I've ever had.”

He waved a hand dismissively. “You’re just saying that because I’m the only brother you’ve ever had.” 

She stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “I’m really not.” She assured him. “Meet you in the courtyard in ten minutes?”

\-----

They’d passed by a couple of dress shops already. All of the dresses in the windows were far too frilly and sparkly for her taste. Adorned in pearls and crystals with skirts that could be used as a tent. They went to a poorer district of the city and the first shop they went to had a window that only held enough room to display one dress and it was much more down to earth than the previous ones. 

The dressmaker was a middle aged man who very promptly gave them his attention. They were the only ones in the shop.

“Well hello there! What can I help you find today?” He asked politely, clearly speaking to Alistair.

“A wedding dress.” Briall said, forcing him to look at her. “For me.” She clarified. 

“I see. I’m very sorry. I assumed you were…” He left off, clearly recognizing that nothing he said after that would be well received. “Anyway, I have a very nice, modest selection this way.” He said, leading them to the back corner of the shop. 

“I’d actually like to look around for myself. I’m not sure what I want.” She said glancing around the shop. 

“Of course, we have quite the selection. Some are...well, quite expensive.” He said gently. 

“Bri, look. There are other shops.” Alistair said, glaring at the man. “Clearly, we aren’t welcome here.” 

“I mean no disrespect!” The man said quickly. “It’s just that I don’t see many elves in my shop. I wouldn’t want you to fall in love with something you couldn’t afford.” 

“Listen!” Alistair said, pointing an accusing finger. “Money is not-”

He was interrupted by the excited squeal of a little girl. All three of them turned to see a bright eyed child around 10 who was bouncing up and down on her feet, barely able to contain her excitement. “You’re her!” She shouted. “Briall Surana.” She said in wonder.

“I'm so sorry.” The shopkeeper said. “That's my daughter, Sofia and she knows that she's not supposed to be in here,  _ especially _ talking to customers.” He said the last pointing directly at Sofia. 

“No, it's okay. Do you think you have a dress that I would like?” Briall asked with a smile.

“I think so.” She said softly, shy now that she was being addressed directly. “My momma makes beautiful dresses.” Sophia explained. 

The dressmaker admonished her, telling Sofia they weren’t looking for anything like that. “My wife makes dresses for the lower classes.” Alistair rolled his eyes. He’d realized who they were and changed his tune quickly enough. 

“I think I’d like to see them.” Briall said, ignoring the dressmaker as he’d ignored her. Instead, she gave Sofia her full attention.

The girl led her to the back of the shop and opened a small closet. The dresses inside were all simple, but absolutely beautiful. “They’re for special occasions.” Sofia explained. “For his events,” She explained, looking shyly back at Alistair. “And for their own. Momma likes to make wedding dresses the most.” 

They were made of medium quality fabrics. Mostly a soft cotton with silk and satin accents. Each had been embroidered so beautifully that the quality of the fabric hardly mattered. She pulled out an antique white dress with copper embroidery. Beautiful, but not the one. She slipped it back between the other dresses and continued to look through them. 

A simple but unique dress caught her attention next. It was made of emerald green fabric overlaid with ivory lace. The lace certainly wasn’t elaborate but had a rustic, simple sort of charm that she liked. She was distracted when she asked to try it on, looking carefully at the cut and the sleeves.

While she changed into the dress, Alistair stayed outside the changing room and glared at the dressmaker. He was a little sour as well, annoyed that the Hero of Ferelden had not picked one of his dresses. 

Sofia was standing just outside the curtain. “When I play with my friends sometimes I pretend that I’m you. Lizzy always wants to play you because she has red hair but I don't think that's fair just because she looks like you.”

From behind the curtain, Briall laughed softly. “You’re right. That isn’t fair. Everyone should have a chance to play as anyone they want to. You can tell Lizzy I said so.” There was a little more shuffling and then she slowly pushed the curtain aside. 

“What do you think, Ali?” She asked, holding her arms out slightly so that he could see the full cut of the gown. The neckline scooped out wide, clinging to the corner of her shoulders. The sleeves were tight around her arms and covered part of her hands just slightly, making her wrists look slim and delicate. It hugged her torso and flared out at her hips, hanging around her legs in delicate folds. 

As Alistair took her in, his eyes wandered from head to toe and back up again He was smiling widely by the end of it. “Great. Amazing. Beautiful.” He said softly. 

He twirled a finger. “Turn around, let's have it.” She turns slowly, the skirt swirling around her ankles. The back of the dress plunged low down her back. “You look absolutely stunning. Zevran is going to absolutely love it.” 

“You think so?” She asked, self-consciously as she turned back around to face him. 

“Yes. Without a doubt.” He assured her with a smile. “So, is this the one? I think it should be the one. It’s stunning. It does amazing things for your eyes and makes your hair glow.” 

Sophia was clasping her hands together, holding them close to her chest. “You look so pretty!” She promised. “I can't believe how pretty you are. Mama said that you would be pretty but you're so pretty!” 

“I have several dresses in that style with much higher quality lace. If you’re going to wed at the Palace you’ll need something befitting of your station.” The dressmaker cut in. 

“I’m not getting married here and this is befitting of anyone’s station. You should give your wife more credit for her beautiful work.” Briall told him. 

“Very well.” He said reluctantly, lips thin. “I shall package it up safely for you. The dress is four sovereigns.” He informed them. 

“No it isn’t!” Sofia said loudly, putting her hands on her hips. “It’s only one!” She argued. 

“It has lace, Sofia. You don’t know about these things.” He chastised, trying to shoo her back into the residential part of the building. 

“Hey!” Alistair shouted when he started to push her. “Leave her alone. Come here, Sofia.” The dressmaker hesitated. Alistair’s brows raised. “King’s orders.” He pointed out. 

Sofia smiled and moved around her father to walk over to him. He pulled some coins out and placed them in Sofia’s hand. “Here’s four for your mother, since that’s what the dress is worth and she made it. There’s another sovereign for you for finding the dress.” 

Her eyes widened and she started to shake her head, attempting to give the coins back.

“Please, keep it.” Briall urged. “With my eternal thanks. You have wonderful taste.” 

The girl beamed under the praise while her father fumed. Once Briall had changed back into her own clothes, Alistair watched him prepare the dress for travel carefully. He didn’t trust the man one wit. Briall thanked him as sweetly as she could and gave him ten silver for his assistance. 

“He’s gonna simmer like that for days, I bet.” Alistair pointed out as they headed back to the palace. He carried the plain dress box in his hands as if it was a newborn babe. “Hero of Ferelden picks a dress his wife made? For poor people?!” He mocked, making Briall laugh. 

She looked up at him and smiled. “It’s a whole new world now that you’re king. He’s going to have to get used to that.” 

\-----

Briall was packing when Zevran returned later that afternoon. She felt him before she heard him. “You’re getting better at locks.” She said with a soft laugh. Zevran’s arms wrapped around her and pulled her tight against him. 

“I was...shall we say...highly motivated.” He chuckled and she could feel his breath against her ear. “I missed you,  _ mi amor _ .” He said, much softer and with a hint of huskiness that always made her heart, among other places, melt.

Her hands moved to his arms, squeezing gently as she laid her head back against his shoulder, closing her eyes. He smelled like the road. Dust and foliage. But he felt like home. This was the longest they had ever been apart. Three weeks. A longer separation was upcoming but she didn’t want to think of that. 

“Where are you planning on going,  _ tesoro _ ? Are you getting cold feet? Have I interrupted your plans to escape marrying the assassin?” She wasn’t sure if he was completely joking.

“You interrupted my plans to escape marrying the assassin in front of the entire nobility of Ferelden.” She turned in his arms, wrapping her own around him. 

“So, you have decided against the wedding of the century.” He chuckled.

“Well, the wedding of the century for everybody else. It'll still be the wedding of the century for me. I mean, it's the only one I'm ever gonna have. Alistair can have the wedding of the century with his queen.” She stood on tiptoes to kiss him gently. 

He wasn’t about to let her go without deepening it. It had been so long. Perhaps the longest he has ever been without physical affection. He finally released her and relished in the soft sigh she let out, how it takes her a moment to open her eyes. 

“You’re a few hours earlier than I expected.” She commented

“I am!” He laughed. “I hurried back for two very good reasons.” 

“Oh, and what are those?” She asked curiously. 

“First, because I missed you. Secondly, because I did not want to miss the window of opportunity for some afternoon delight.” He explained, taking a lock of her red hair and rolling it between his fingers. He tucked it behind her ear and his fingers slid down her cheek, along the slim column of her throat. 

She hummed softly, closing her eyes again to enjoy his touch. “That sounds agreeable.” 

“Only agreeable?” He tsked softly. “Have I been gone so long you have forgotten that my talents are, by your own admission, more than ‘agreeable’?”

“Perhaps I have.” She admitted. “Any attempts to bring myself pleasure in your absence were certainly only ‘agreeable.’ Perhaps I need a refresher?” 

He bent slightly to sweep her off her feet, relishing in her squeal of surprise and delight. “Perhaps I should teach you how to take care of yourself.” 

He dropped her on the bed and immediately started to shed his armor. “Later.” She breathed, sitting up to pull off her shirt and untie her breast band. “I want you to take care of me right now.” 

Amazingly, he was bare before she was. He gripped her pants by the waistband and pulled. She lifted her hips so that he could draw them and her smalls down her legs. 

An absent minded string of Antivan flowed from his lips that made her shiver. She was working on learning his native tongue but it was quite difficult. She didn’t know the exact translation but she knew the sentiment he was relaying. 

He crawled over her, one knee pressing between her thighs. She rolled her hips, rubbing her core against his muscled thigh. He moaned into her ear before biting the lobe playfully. Her hips jerked, further spreading her slick on his skin. 

“So wet already.” He whispered into her ear. “So needy, how you rut against my leg. I have much better parts to pleasure you with.” He moved his other leg between hers and sat up, his legs bent beneath him. He reached underneath her and hauled her up so that her soft ass sat cradled in his lap, his hard cock resting against her glistening slit. 

One hand wrapped over her thigh while the other grasped his hard length and used it to spread her lips and tease her clit. She gasped sharply, her back arching slightly at the first touch of the sensitive pearl. She said his name, barely a whisper but filled with need. 

“You will have to say my name louder than that to satisfy me.” He began rocking his hips softly so that his length slid between her lips, coating himself in her slick and continuing to tease her clit. 

“I will.” She promised breathlessly. “I will, just... please.” 

He pushed into her entrance, just past the head of his cock and withdrew again to tease her clit once more. “You beg so prettily,  _ mi amor _ .” 

She groaned in frustration, twisting the sheets in her fists. She raised her head to look up at him, finding an infuriating grin on his face. Two could play at that game.

“Your patience is amazing.” She tried to relax back against the pillows, giving him a sultry look. “To be parted from your love for so long. And now, here I lay, waiting for you to plunge yourself inside of me. My pussy is so hot and tight and it aches for you.”

Zevran’s eyes narrowed slightly, the motions of his hips faltering slightly. “That you can hold back knowing that I am ready and willing to take every inch of your hard cock.” He swallowed hard. She moaned when the swollen head of his cock teased her clit again. 

“And you know that when you bury yourself inside of me that I will moan and call out your name. I know how much you love that. How my cunt clenches your-”

Zevran couldn’t take it anymore. With surprising quickness, he grabbed her hips and plunged deep. As promised, she cried out his name, her hands slapping against the bed and gripping the sheets tightly again. Her back arched and he couldn’t ignore the enticing view of her breasts thrust to the heavens. 

One hand cupped her breast and massaged as he remained buried inside of her. He wasn’t ready to move yet, enjoying her tight heat around him. She clenched and released several times before her back settled against the bed again. 

“Look at me, tesoro.” He ordered as he pinched her nipple and rolled it between his fingers, making her gasp as her eyes flew open. She met his gaze and moaned at the heat she saw in his eyes. 

He gripped her hips tightly again and raised himself onto his knees. It made her torso arch in such a beautiful way. Her slim stomach bared to him, breasts rolling with each thrust of his hips. Briall gripped the sheets tighter.

His thrusts grew faster and harder and she had to release the sheets to brace herself against the headboard. He was drawing her hips back to meet his thrust, but she was still inching her way higher, little by little. As his thrusts grew in speed and force, her moans grew in volume. 

He could tell that her position would soon grow uncomfortable so he released her hips and let her bounce back on the bed. He rolled onto his back beside her. “Come,  _ mi amor _ . I wish to watch you ride me until you cum around me.” 

She tried to steady her panting by taking long, deep breaths as she threw her leg over his hips. She reached down to grasp and guide his cock but he stopped her. “Free your fire first.” He asked softly. 

There was such appreciation in his eyes, the way they slid over her. Such love and complete adoration. She’d quickly learned that every move she made when they were together was erotic and sensual to him no matter how awkward she felt she was. She drew her braid over her shoulder and untied the leather cord that held it secure. 

She didn’t have a chance to unravel it. Zevran gripped her hips and pushed her back onto his lap so that he could sit up. Their height difference made this position ideal for meeting eye to eye. He clearly struggled to take his gaze away from hers. 

He tore his eyes away from hers and looked down at her braid, gently taking it from her hands. He started to unwind the strands every so carefully. He paused for a moment to bring her hair to his nose, inhaling slowly as his eyes closed and a smile spread across his lips. 

“I used to believe that nothing would smell as good to me as the leather district in Antiva City.” He said absently, opening his eyes to finish unraveling her hair. “But you, Briall, my beautiful Warden….” He pushed her free hair over her shoulder to kiss it gently. His hands wandered her back, her silky hair between her skin and his palms. 

She raised herself up slightly, shifting her hips until she felt the head of his cock dip into her entrance. She slid down over him slowly, their moans mixing together. She met his eyes again as she began to move over him. One hand sunk into his hair, fisting at the back of his head.

His hands slid up her back, crossed themselves and gripped her shoulders. He used them to pull her down harder with each thrust. Her breath was coming in ragged pants. She savored the feel of her body moving against his, her breasts pressed against the hard wall of his chest. 

“ _ Mi amor _ ,” He whispered huskily. “I could get lost in you forever. In your beautiful eyes and your exquisite body.” He grunted as she sunk over him again. 

His words had a physical effect on her body. “I’m so close, Zevran…” She moaned, her hand tightening in his hair. 

“As am I,  _ tesoro _ . Going so long without your touch has made me weak. I will cum with you, buried deep in your body while you tighten around me. I long to hear my name grace your luscious lips as you shudder and fall over the edge. Cum for me, Briall.” Her name slid off his tongue in the smooth accent she loved, the ‘r’ rolled ever so slightly. 

She couldn’t hold it back any more. His words, how he filled her, his hot skin against hers. After so long it was like an explosion. Every nerve ending set ablaze as she found her release. 

It was mere moments before he followed. It wasn’t the feel of her spasming around him but his name as it tore from her throat in a lusty cry. He had been so long without that glorious sound and his memories did not do it justice. 

His hands on her shoulders pulled her down hard so that he could sink completely inside of her. So that he could feel her clench and release over and over around every inch of him. He buried his face against her neck and groaned her name. “ _ Ti amo _ .” He whispered over and over. 

Briall cradled his head against her as her body calmed. She kissed his hair and told him that she loved him too, how much she missed him and how good it felt to be in his arms again. She said it all in the bedroom tone she had learned from him. One meant to soothe the body and warm the soul.

He finally raised his head to kiss her, pulling her down as he laid back so that she blanketed him. Breaking the kiss, she looked down at him and stroked the curving tattoo on his cheek. 

“So,” She said softly. “Now that you’ve had your afternoon delight, which was indeed quite delightful, how was your trip?” 

She settled against him, softening cock still buried inside of her. She rested her head on his chest as his hand idly moved up and down her back.

“It was very good. Although, I am unsure of what my next step should be.” He admitted. 

“I can help with that.” She offered. “Tell me about it. What are your options?”

“My first option is to marry the most beautiful woman in existence. She also happens to be the Hero of Ferelden.” He said idly, twisting her hair in his fingers.

She pretended to give it some thought for a moment, nodding slowly. “Yes, well that certainly does have some appeal to it. I mean the Hero of Ferelden. You could hardly say no.” 

“Indeed.” He sounded amused as he kissed the top of her head. “I do often find it hard to say no to her.” 

“Okay, so what is the other option.” 

“Well, I would ask that we put off the wedding. For perhaps a week or two.” He said gently.

“Funny you should mention that. I was thinking the same thing.” 

He moved gently, urging her to sit up with him again. He took Briall's hands in both of his own, kissing the tops with infinite care. “I was after a mark.” He confirmed. “But it was not somebody to kill. I was looking for someone. Several people in fact. And I found them.” 

“Okay, so if you're not going to kill them, why were you looking for them?” She was slightly confused that a master assassin had a mark that wasn’t slated for death. 

“I set out to find your family and I found them. Your mother, your father and a younger brother who was born several years after you were taken to the circle.” 

Her hands pulled out of his involuntarily and she moved off his lap to sit on the bed. She wasn’t angry or upset with him but her surprise made her recoil to her safest place. Herself. She took a moment and swallowed hard. She finally made her eyes move back up to his, afraid that he would be offended or hurt by her reaction. 

He wasn’t though. His eyes were concerned and she could tell he was just itching to comfort her. “I didn't know you were looking. Why didn't you tell me you were looking?” She asked, not accusingly. She knew he must have had a reason for keeping it to himself. 

“I could not bear your disappointment or sadness if I could not find them or found them dead. Or if they did not want to meet you.” He explained. “I am sorry if I have overstepped,  _ tesoro _ .”

She framed his face with her hands and kissed him. Deeply, letting him share some of the overwhelming emotions that were rising up in her.

“So if you’re telling me, that means that you did find them, they aren't dead, and they do want to meet me?” She asked. He wasn't sure if it was hopefulness in her voice or something else. Her eyes showed the vulnerability of the moment. This new information that she hadn’t yet been able to process. 

“They do. Desperately. I wanted us to be able to get there and back again before we married. In case you wanted them to be there. You were born in Highever but your family relocated to a town called Gallow’s Moor. It’s quite a bit nicer than the name suggests.” His fingers moved through her hair and she tilted her head slightly to move into his touch.

She smiled at him through the tears that were gathering in the corners of her eyes. “I can't believe you would do that for me.” She managed to get out around the lump in her throat.

“Briall,” He said her name softly, in a way that let her know it was with the full weight of his being. “I would do anything for you.” 

Holding back a sob, she crawled back onto his lap, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Her kiss was fevered and demanding. She couldn’t express herself with words so she did it with actions instead.

She let out a long breath when they parted, resting her forehead against his. “Well, I suppose it all works out kind of nicely then.” 

“Is that so?” He asked, nuzzling her nose with his own. 

“Mmhmm,” She hummed. “Earlier this morning I hit a point where I realized that the wedding that everybody was planning wasn't for me or for you. I want to go somewhere quiet. Somewhere we can focus on each other. I don’t know where yet.”

“We have plenty of time to decide.” He told her. 

“I know you just got back, but Alistair and I are ready to go. I just need to finish packing. We were hoping to leave tonight under the cover of darkness.” She said with a smile, pulling away to look at him.

“I am such a terribly bad influence on the two of you.” He chuckled. 

“Yes, well, he's going to go with the “beg for forgiveness instead of ask for permission” thing.” She laughed.

“Then I won’t even bother to unpack. We're just missing Bane. Where's the old boy anyway?” He hadn’t even noticed that the mabari wasn’t at her side. 

“Oh!” She smiled widely. She shuffled off his lap and the bed, pulling out a fresh shirt to travel in. “His bitch had puppies a few days ago. I think he's rather taken with his offspring. I know I am. They’re adorable. Now we’ve just got to find Alistair a soulmate.” 

“Oh, I have no doubt that plenty of women will be beating down Alistair's door in no time. There is never a shortage of eligible noble ladies for a king.” He pointed out with a sly smile. 

He stood and walked over to her, gently pulling her hands away from her pants to tie them up himself. He kissed her forehead and turned to retrieve clean clothes for himself. “We should finish packing. It will be dark enough for us to sneak out soon. It has been quite a while since I have had to sneak out of a monarch’s palace.” He chuckled. “We can collect our pup and Bane and be on our way!” 

She moved behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso. She kissed his bare shoulder gently. “Thank you, Zevran.” 

He covered one of her hands with his own and squeezed gently. “Of course, mi amor. Anything to see my future wife smile.” 

She hummed softly, releasing him reluctantly. “I like the sound of that.” She murmured, turning back to her own packing. “I’ll like it even more when the ‘future’ part is irrelevant.” 

“As will I.” He chuckled. “As will I.” 


	2. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Briall finally meets her family and it is everything she dreamed it would be, especially with her lover and her brother at her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little angsty and conversation heavy, but I threw a little smut at the end to spice things up!

“We should make camp here.” Zevran said, glancing up at the darkening horizon. 

“Gallow’s Moor is just there. We’re only an hour away, maybe less.” Alistair complained. “We could sleep in real beds! Of course, we also could have been there already if we’d taken a boat across the lake instead of going around.” The last he grumbled more to himself. 

“I have put off telling you something,  _ mi amor _ .”  Zevran said, halting his horse.

“What? What's wrong?” She asked quickly, pulling her horse between his and Alistair’s.

“Gallow’s Moor is a town that was-and is-highly loyal to Loghain. Many soldiers under his command reside here.”  Zevran said reluctantly. 

“My family?” Briall was afraid to even ask. 

“Not your family.” He assured her. “But most of the town. We’ll have to be very careful.” 

“Do you think they would hurt us?” Alistair asked, holding his hand over his eyes to look toward the town.

“I do not think that individual people would, but when gathered together a mob is extremely unpredictable. I have used them as diversions in the past and they have not all gone as planned.”  Zevran admitted, pursing his lips slightly. “We have been invited to stay with Briall’s family, but if we choose to do that, we should stay inside and out of sight as much as possible.”

“I don’t want to put my family in danger. Maybe we shouldn’t do this?” Briall fretted, twisting her reigns in her hands.

“We only proceed if you wish it,  _ mi amor. _ Just know that your family is aware of the risk and still wish to meet you. We discussed, at length, their leaving Gallow’s Moor to relocate to Denerim under our friendly King’s protection.” He told her, giving her all the information he had available. “It seems the more...zealous townsfolk have already done the math, what with your family’s hair coloring and proximity to Ferelden’s circle. Normally that is poor reasoning, but in this case, correct.”

“Everything will be fine as long as we're careful. Your parents have most likely made a decision to leave or not by now.”  Zevran urged his horse a little closer to cover one of her fidgeting hands, squeezing gently until she relaxed. “But you know that if things do not go as planned, as they are want to do, that Alistair and I will do everything we can to protect your family, just as we would you.” 

She inhaled slowly and let it out with a nod. “Alright, let’s go then. We’re losing daylight and a proper bed sounds nice.” 

\-----

By the time they finally reached the house, she felt a little bit better. It was modest and tidy with a garden in the back and a small overcropping on one side for their horses. The neighbors were fairly close for such a small town. There was a larger Chantry building in the middle of the town but Gallow’s Moor wasn’t large enough to have a business district. Small shops were interspersed with the homes and some even appeared to be run from said homes.

On the way to the little town on the western edge of Lake Calenhad, Briall had imagined many different buildings. She hadn’t imagined the weather-worn wood shingles on the front or the cornflower blue door with the paint worn off around the handle. It was fitting though. Quaint. She’d imagined her family living in worse places. 

Briall walked up to the door. Raised her hand and then let it fall again, letting out an unsteady breath. She was startled when Zevran put his hand on her shoulder gently. 

“There is no hurry. Take your time.” He assured her. She turned to him raising her head slightly. Taking her hand, he leaned down to kiss her gently. He rested his forehead against hers and squeezed her hand. “I love you.” He whispered encouragingly. 

“I love you too.” She murmured with a smile. She pulled away from him, tucked her hair behind her ears and knocked before she could give it too much more thought. 

She didn't hear anybody walk up to the door, but suddenly on the other side of the door a voice asked; “who is it?” There was a moment of panic when she realized she wasn't prepared for such a routine, mundane question. 

She cleared her throat and tried to speak up although she knew that her voice was much quieter than she’d hoped. 

“My name is Briall.” There was silence for a moment and then the sound of the lock disengaging. The door opened inward and a face completely foreign, yet somehow familiar, peered out. 

The woman's hair was a light blonde with hints of rose gold. Certainly not enough to account for her hair. Blue eyes stared at her in wonder. 

“Hello mistress Iyann.” Zevran said cheerfully. Yet, the woman didn't seem to hear him at all, she just stared at Briall. Alistair glanced around nervously but no one was out and about at this hour. Still, Zevran’s warning echoed in his mind. 

“Might we come in?” Zevran asked before Alistair could speak up. 

“I-oh-yes of course! I’m so sorry!) Her mother shook her head as if coming out of a stupor. She opened the door wider and waved them inside. 

Alistair didn't yet introduce himself. He got the feeling that now wouldn't be the appropriate time. This was Bri’s moment. 

“Please come, come sit down.” The woman waved them over. There was a lounge wide enough for two people and two high backed wooden chairs with handmade cushions circled around the cold hearth. 

Briall sat down and folded her hands in her lap, afraid that she would fidget. Zevran put a hand on her thigh and squeezed reassuringly. 

After another moment of stupor, her mother sat down. “Zevran said that he would bring you back if you wanted to meet us but a part of me never expected to see again.” Her mother said gently. “I’m sorry. I don't know what you expected. Certainly not babbling, but I just-” She cut off, unsure how to continue. 

Briall looked up from her hands and smiled pensively. “I completely understand. I don't know what I expected, honestly. I don't know what to say. Don't know what to do.” She added with a small, nervous laugh. 

Zevran broke the tension for them. “Mistress Iyann, are your husband and son here?” 

“Oh! No, they're a few towns over. And, please, call me Eryn.” She looked back at Briall, clearly relieved to have a direction to take the conversation. “Your father is a farrier. One of the best around so he often travels. People pay him well for his good work.” She said proudly. Something warm bloomed in Briall to hear her mother speak so excitedly about her husband. 

“Your brother is old enough to start learning the trade.” She said proudly. “I expect them back this evening, though it is getting late. If it gets too dark, they’ll camp for the night. It’s far too dangerous to travel in the dark.”

“Will they be okay?” Briall asked nervously. She almost volunteered to go and meet them but didn’t want her mother to think she assumed they couldn’t get along well enough on their own.

“Oh yes, they'll be fine.” Eryn assured them, no hint of offense. “Your father was a soldier in his youth so he knows how to protect them.” 

“This is a weird question, so I'm just gonna blurt it out.” Briall prefaced. “Do I get my features from him?”

Her mother was surprised by the question as if the preface had made her think that it was going to be something much more dramatic. “Yes, your eyes and your hair. But your hair has such a beautiful wave to it. Your father’s gets so curly if he lets it grow out.” 

“It’s fitting, I suppose. You were such a daddy’s girl when you were a child. You followed him everywhere, like a second shadow.” Eryn said with a laugh. “You’ve grown into such a beautiful woman. I can't believe how beautiful.”

Briall felt her cheeks flush. Zevran’s hand tightened on her thigh again. “I often think the same thing.” He said with a grin. 

“Well, thank you.” Briall said softly, embarrassed at the amount of praise. “What about my brother? Who does he look like?” 

“Oh, he has red hair too, but it's more muted. More like mine with reddish gold in it. And he has my eyes. I’m rather surprised at how differently you both look.” She admitted.

“I have this picture in my head of what they look like but I can’t wait to see what they actually look like.” She didn’t have anything to follow up with, so there was another small, awkward silence. 

“So, your name is Briall?” Her mother asked to break the silence.

She nodded slightly. “I take it that isn’t the name I was born with?” 

Her mother shook her head. “We named you, Risa. But I rather like Briall as well. Risa fit you as a child, but Briall fits you as a woman.”

“Your surname; did they let you keep that?” She asked curiously, though there was something in her tone that revealed vulnerability. What mother wouldn’t want her daughter to keep some part of her family? 

“I’ve gone by Surana though it will be Arainai soon.” She said with a smile in Zevran’s direction. 

“Yes, he mentioned that. I’m so happy for you. It's weird to have met my future son-in-law before my daughter.” Her mother's showing nervousness was actually putting Briall at ease. It seemed they were both nervous, but it seemed to be dwindling for both of them.

“I have some questions about my childhood. And about when I was taken. I understand if you don't want to talk about that, though.” Briall added the last quickly.

“No, we definitely want you to know where you came from. That we never gave up on you. We didn't just hand you over. But I think your father would want to be here for that discussion.” She suggested. “We definitely want to hear about your life too!” 

Briall cringe inwardly. There were definitely some things that she was never going to let her parents know. They would be devastated. Her affection starved childhood and encounters with Mallum being two of the big ones.

“The men aren't so interested in wedding details, but I would certainly like to know all about what you have planned. Also who you brought with you.” She said, looking over at Alistair in the other highback chair. It was unusual for him to be so quiet for so long but Briall was appreciative of his reserve. 

A wave of shame washed through her for forgetting about him though. She’d been so caught up in everything. “This is my, well, I don't want to offend you but he’s my brother. Alistair.” 

“Alistair?” Her mother said, surprised. “As in the King of Ferelden?”

“Believe me. It’s as weird for you as it is for me.” Alistair said lightly. “But yes, that's the one.” 

Her mother put her hand to her chest looking around the room. Briall was sure that she was seeing every little minute thing that was dirty or out of place, even though none of the rest of them would see it that way. 

“Oh my gracious. I didn't know you would be here. I would have-my goodness-I would have cleaned more or put on a better dress or something." Eryn fretted.

“No, please.” Alastair said. “None of that on my account. I’m really not worth all the fuss.” 

Briall looked at her mother hesitantly. Would she be upset that she called this man her brother when she had a blood brother? But, her mother was smiling again. 

“I'm so glad that she found a family. It’s such a relief to know she hasn’t been alone all this time.”

“It took a while, but the wait was worth it. A lot of us have to go our separate ways and three of us will too eventually, at least for a while. But I love them all and miss them greatly.” She realized she was quickly becoming more at ease. “And now I can get to know my birth family too.” 

Her mother fidgeted a little bit. Making the motion is if she was going to stand up a couple of times. 

“Is something wrong?” Briall asked. 

“No, I just-I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I-I’d really like to hug you, or just hold your hand for a moment. I haven’t gotten to touch you in such a long time and I’ve missed you every single day.” Hey mother said in a rush.

Briall wasn't sure why she hadn't been expecting that but she found that she didn't really mind. She hadn't had a lot of affection in the tower. There was no hugging or holding hands or anything like that. No mother and father to sleep with in the middle of a thunderstorm or after a nightmare. But she’d gotten comfortable showing her affections openly with Zevran and Alistair. She realized having that connection with her mother would be really nice too. 

She pushed her chair back and stood up. “I would actually really like that.”

Her mother fairly shot out of her chair moving around the table to wrap her arms around Briall. She encased her mother in her arms, hugging her tightly. She felt her mother shake slightly and heard a quiet sob where her mother's face was buried in her shoulder. 

“I'm sorry.” She said, her voice breaking. “I don’t mean to be so emotional but-” She pulled away to look up at Briall. In typical mother fashion, she framed Briall’s face in her hands, looking her over with pride and love shining in her eyes. 

“But now that you're here, I can hardly contain myself.” She apologized, tears shining in her eyes. 

“I really understand.” Briall said softly, meant only for her mother to hear. 

Her mother took her hands and squeezed them gently. She sniffed softly and cleared her throat. “Why don't you sit back down and tell me all about this wedding?” 

“Here, please!” Zevran said, standing from the lounge and gesturing at his vacant spot. Eryn smiled gratefully and the two women sat next to each other. Briall reached over and took her mother’s hand, pleased at the smile it brought.

“Well, I don't really have one.” Briall admitted, looking over at Zevran with a smile. “You’d think we would have talked about it, but the truth is there's been a lot of planning that got thrown out the window. I got caught up in something I didn’t want.” 

“Our marriage is not a spectacle.” Zevran said. “Nor is it for public entertainment.  _ Amor _ , you love being outside. Perhaps your mother knows of a beautiful place?”

“There is a place near where I grew up and where your father and I met. But unfortunately, it's on the other side of the lake.” Her mother said regretfully. “But-” She hesitated. “We’ve decided to move our lives to Denerim. If it isn’t too much hassle having a whole household traveling, we could stop by on the way. That is, if you’d like us involved.” 

“I would, very much.” Briall assured her with a smile and squeeze of the hand. 

“I haven't seen you together much but I can tell by the way Zevran keeps looking at you that you're quite in love. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.” Eryn gushed. 

“Yeah,” She agreed. “It is great.” She heard Zevran chuckle at the wistfulness in her voice. 

“So, do you have a dress yet?” Eryn was growing more excited. To have her daughter back in her life and at such an important time!

“Yes, actually it's in the stuff that we have packed outside. It’s simple, but I love it.” 

“Simple or no, you will look stunning. You are exquisite in anything or nothing at all.” Zevran assured her with a wicked grin. She felt her cheeks flush again. Normally she wasn’t so embarrassed by his praise having grown used to it. But in front of her mother? 

“Ugh, forgive him.” Alistair said with a wave of his hand. “He’s rather crude.”

“Not crude.” Zevran corrected. “Simply uninhibited by social structures. I refuse to hold back my praise, or my pride, at having such a beautiful mate.” He paused and openly looked at Alistair with a smug grin. “Although I do also quite delight in making you uncomfortable.” 

“And I hate that you know me well enough to be able to do it so fantastically.” Alistair grumbled. 

“Anyway-” Briall said a bit loudly to get things back on track. Not that she didn't love how they interacted. It was adorable. “Zevran and I haven’t talked much about it. I suppose we should have on the way here, but I think I was a little too nervous for that. What do you want, Zev?”

He hummed softly while he pretended to think about it. Briall was sure he’d already thought of this long before now. 

“I am sure I will be wearing something dashing. After all, I know how to present myself as a delicious treat. I want you to be able to look at your husband on your wedding day and be consumed with the need to get your hands on him.” 

Briall laughed aloud. “I'm sure that won't be a problem.” 

“Honestly  _ tesoro _ , just you. That is really all I need.” Yet again, Briall felt her cheeks flush. The way he’d said “just you” in that silky accent and the way that his eyes burned into her made her heart melt. 

They were all quiet for a moment until Briall cleared her throat. 

“Let me see what I have for dinner.” Eryn suggested. “I'm sure we're going to be up quite late talking.”

“I’d be happy to help.” Briall offered, standing with her mother. 

Zevran and Alistair stayed seated, letting them have some time alone. Alistair sat back and laced his fingers behind his head. “I sure don't know how I expected it to go but it went good!”

“I would agree. It did go quite well. I, perhaps, expected more tears however.” Zevran admitted. 

“Do you think she’ll want us there. For the talk?” Alistair asked curiously. 

“I am quite sure she will. It will be quite emotional and this is all very new. She is still quite nervous. I think our support will be appreciated.” He explained. 

“Good enough for me. Should we unpack so that she doesn’t have to worry about it later.” Alistair suggested. 

“My dear Warden,” Zevran said, pushing himself up from his chair. “In all of our times together, that is perhaps one of the only truly great ideas you've ever presented.” 

\-----

The assassin and the king had just finished moving their belongings up to her brother’s room. He would be sleeping with their parents. Alistair advised that he would be sleeping on the couch. He knew what they were like together in a small space and he wanted no part of it. 

She was still in the kitchen with her mother when her father and brother arrived home. 

“Eryn, whose horses are those tied up with ours?” She heard a deep voice ask from the front room. 

“Our daughters’.” Her mother called excitedly. "She's here! Come in and meet her. She's beautiful!”

Whatever picture she had in her head of her father paled in comparison to reality. He was quite the handsome man. His red hair was short and swept back. And his eyes. Those were the same eyes that had stared back at her from the mirror her entire life. His frame was sturdy, but not overly tall. His work kept him toned and fit. Although, had she noticed a limp? 

Her little brother’s deep strawberry blonde curls seemed to be a perfect mix of their two parents. Nolan, who she learned was nine, reacted before her father did who had much the same reaction as her mother. A stunned kind of disbelief. 

Her brother gave an excited shout. “She's finally here!” He ran to her and threw his arms around her waist. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him in return. She was unable to resist the urge to ruffle his hair a little bit. He looked up at her with Eryn’s eyes. 

“You really are pretty.” He commented with the innocence of a child. 

“Well, thank you.” She said with a soft laugh. Her father took a tentative step forward. He opened his arms just slightly and Briall took the invitation without question. She threw herself against him and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face against him.

He smelled like hot ash, smoke and iron. When her mother had told her what he did, she'd expected him to smell more like horses and stable. 

He held her tightly against him, almost uncomfortably, but he seemed to know the limits of his own strength. He just held her for a long few moments.

But she didn't seem to want to break away either. “I'm sorry.” He said after what might have been an awkward amount of time. It didn’t feel awkward. She’d had more time to prepare and a framework of expectations from already seeing her mother for the first time. “I can't seem to let you go again.” He admitted against her hair. 

“It's okay.” She whispered. “I don't mind.” Finally he released her and she reluctantly took a step back. She looked at her mother, then brother. “I thought this was going to be a lot more awkward but I just feel... relieved.” 

“We do too.” Eryn assured her. Then, it was back to business. "You two go unpack and bathe and I'll make dinner. And then we can sit by the fire and talk. We have a lot to talk about and I don't think I can wait until tomorrow.” 

Her father reached out to touch her hair, smiling as he let it slide through his fingers. Reluctantly, he left to do as Eryn had asked. 

“Do you cook?” Her mother asked.

Briall almost snorted and started laughing. “No. Not very well anyway. I never had to cook in the tower and camp meals don’t allow for creativity. Zevran is a fantastic cook though. As long as you love spices.” 

“Well, I happen to have the ingredients to make your favorite. At least, your favorite when you were a child. Sliced beef with gravy over handmade noodles. Would you like me to teach you?” She offered. “I’m sure you’re tired from traveling and it’s been a long day-”

“I would love to.” Briall cut in with a smile to ease her mother’s fretting. “And I still love that dish, quite a bit.” 

Her mother’s happy smile made her heart swell. The food didn’t matter so much. The important thing is that she finally got to learn how to cook from her mother.

\-----

They had to bring in the two high backed chairs from in front of the hearth and a stool from outside to fit everyone around the small table. As much as she liked the idea of sitting between her parents, she wasn’t quite ready for that. In all honesty, she was still feeling a little overwhelmed. Zevran seemed to know this and took the seat to her right before anyone else could. 

“Before I forget,” She said to her father and brother as they were sitting down. “I brought the King of Ferelden with me.” 

“Oh.” Her father said simply, eyes blank for a moment while he processed. 

“Wait, you brought the king with you?!” Nolan exclaimed, sitting forward in his chair. “The king does what you say?”

“Well, it's more of a mutual relationship but, yes, kind of. I consider him my brother.” She told him. 

“Wow.” Her brother said in awe. “You're important, huh? I mean, I knew you were but, damn! You're important!”

“Nolan!” Her mother hissed. 

“My moment is sort of over, so I’m probably not so important any more.” She said with a laugh. “Which I’m fine with.” 

“I don’t care.” Nolan said decisively. “My sister is the Hero of Ferelden. Ender of the fifth blight.” Briall smiled at his odd choice of words. “Orderer of the King.” He lowered his voice then, tucking into his plate of food. “Badass.” He whispered. 

Eryn tisked and shook her head. 

“When I start to like girls that's really gonna help me a lot.” Everyone laughed at that and Zevran nudged him with his elbow. 

“Never too early to plan your strategy.” He said with a wink.

Briall swallowed her food and took a sip of wine. “So...do you have preferences on what I should call you?” 

“Ma and Da.” Nolan said simply. “That’s what everyone calls their parents.” The three guests at the table were silent.

“Nolan,” His father chastised gently. “Not everyone has parents.” He pointed out. 

“Well, everyone  _ does. _ ” Her brother pointed out. “They just don’t know them.” 

“Nolan.” He said again, this time with a groan, scrubbing his hand down his face. 

“Eryn and Rhys are just fine.” Her mother said, still pointedly glaring at Nolan. 

Briall nodded slowly, moving her food around on her plate. 

“But, if you want to, eventually, mother and father would be fine.” Her mother added, looking at Briall with a smile. She smiled in return and nodded. 

Once the plates were cleared,they moved back to the hearth. Through brought in the kitchen chairs and made a circle in the small room. Briall tucked up close to Zevran in the lounge, giving Nolan room to sit beside her. 

“So,” Her father began. “Let’s start with what you remember.” 

"Well, not very much. I know I was six and I should remember something, but it’s all missing. I didn’t even remember what you looked like.” She admitted, embarrassed.

“Oh, sweet girl, it’s okay. People deal with trauma in different ways. We're not upset that you forgot what we looked like.” Her mother assured her.

“I’m upset.” Nolan said quietly, It was only a few moments before his smile cracked and he laughed, waving a hand dismissively. “Just kidding.” 

Briall laughed softly. He was rather enjoying her brother’s childish, blunt humor. It reminded her of Alistair.

“You were four when you first started showing the signs.” Rhys informed her. “Which is so young, but they were just little things.”

“You were afraid of the dark, as most kids are, and I would find candles lit in your room in the middle of the night, even though we didn’t leave you with anything you could light them with.” Her mother added. “Your hot chocolate would stay hotter when you were holding the cup. And it was never too hot. You could always drink it right away.” 

“Those both make sense. Fire is kind of one of my specialties.” She admitted. 

“Must be the hair.” Alistair quipped. 

“You were six when they came. We don’t even know how they found out. You’d never shown great signs of magic in front of people and in a place as large as Highever we hoped you would go unnoticed. There were no accidents or mishaps, but they came anyway.” Eryn looked uncomfortable retelling it. Clearly the lack of knowing who had turned in her daughter weighed on her. 

“They came and they said that they had to take you for your own safety. And ours. You were dangerous and if you didn't grow up in a circle, you would do terrible monstrous things.” Rhys continued when Eryn couldn’t. 

“I didn’t want to let you go, but there were four templars and just one of me. I should have fought, but I didn’t and I regret it.” He said, shaking his head. 

“You shouldn’t. They could have killed you.” Briall said with a frown. “You did the right thing.” She promised him. 

“Perhaps.” He reluctantly agreed. “Perhaps if you have a child one day you’ll understand.” 

Her inability to bear children wasn’t a subject she was ready to bring up. Zevran took her hand and squeezed gently. The high emotion of the subject seemed to keep her parents unaware of her discomfort.

“We knew that they'd take you to the circle. So we moved here from Highever to be closer and I went to go get you. I begged them. I camped outside the Circle doors for days. Begging to see you. Pleading on my knees, bribing. I promised you wouldn’t be dangerous. That we would take you to the Dalish or disappear with you into the Wilds. They mostly ignored me.” Rhys shook his head, looking down at his hands. 

“Some of the younger Templars got annoyed. Then they tried to get me to go away. They got violent when I said I wasn't going to leave without seeing you.” He wouldn’t look at her, as if he was embarrassed at his failure. 

Briall frowned, feeling suddenly protective. She knew that whatever he was going to say next she wasn’t going to like. 

Her mother must have felt the same. When she spoke again it was with a spark of anger. “A group of them followed your father to the inn at the docks. They beat him within an inch of his life, broke his leg and told him they would do worse if he came back again.”

Briall gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. She had no idea what lengths the templars would go through to keep their mages in the Circles, but that was insanity. He was just a father looking for his child. 

“I think my tenacity frightened them. Threatened their control if the mages knew their loved ones were trying to get them back.” Rhys looked up at her again. “And their youth didn’t help. New Templars, proud of their training and their station.” 

“So, your father healed and I took a trip. I was terrified they would hurt me too, but I was treated quite differently. A very nice woman came out and explained to me that you were special. They had taken you to another tower for special training. She told me what kind of a life you had and it painted a pretty picture. I wanted it to believe it so badly, that you would have a better life.” Her mother’s voice was breaking. “But better than being with us?” She shook her head sadly. 

“We didn't want to believe them but your father and I over the next year took several trips and...I hate to say we gave up but eventually we had to move on. We came to believe that they were telling the truth. That you weren’t really there. I’m ashamed looking back and knowing that you were there the whole time, growing up under a different name. A name meant to distance you from your family and keep you from asking questions.” 

“It worked.” Briall said sadly. “I forgot all about you.” 

Nolan’s hand slapped her knee. “Welp, kids are dumb sometimes.” He said by way of reassurance. “It’s not your fault.” 

“First of all, rude.” Alistair said, sitting forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “But second, he isn’t wrong Bri. It wasn’t your fault.” 

“I know.” She said softly. She cleared her throat, spoke a little louder. “Anyway, life at the Circle wasn’t all bad.” She assured them. It was mostly a lie but it came surprisingly easy. “And, even during the Blight, there were moments of happiness. I found love.” She pointed out. “That was worth it. All of it.” 

“Will you tell us about it?” Rhys asked. 

“Yeah!” Nolan sat up a little. “Did you kill darkspawn? Did you kill bad guys? I heard you killed a  _ dragon! _ ” 

“Are you sure?” She asked them. “It’s pretty late and a very long story. We certainly won’t get through it tonight.” 

“She’s right.” Rhys said. “It’s late and nearly all of us have been traveling all day. It can wait until the morning. We have plenty of time now.” 

Nolan let out a disappointed groan. “Fine.” He drew out in a long whine. 

Eryn stood and smoothed down her dress. “You have new bedding in Nolan’s room. Alistair, are you sure you’ll be okay here?” She asked nervously. 

“Yeah, trust me. They need their space. It’s disgusting really.” Alistair joked. 

“Ew, in my bed?!” Nolan cried out. 

“No!” Briall said quickly, cheeks burning furiously. She could feel the blush traveling down her neck. “Not here.” She promised. “That wouldn’t be right.” 

“As much as it pains me, sweet Briall is correct. Not even I am so disrespectful.” Zevran laughed when Alistair rolled his eyes and let out a disbelieving snort. “We will leave the house for such things.” He added, voice smooth and completely, unabashedly honest. Briall's cheeks burned. Yet, what could she say against it when he spoke the truth? They couldn't keep their hands off each other.

Nolan gave her a quick hug and then ran up the stairs like he was being chased by a demon. “Night, Bri! Night, Zev! Night, King!” He called out. 

Zevran waited patiently while she hugged her parents, exchanging soft words and smiles. Her father brushed her hair behind her ear affectionately and kissed her forehead. 

When they got up to their room and they were finally alone she threw herself at Zevran and buried her face against his neck. He held her tightly, sliding his fingers through her hair, his other hand moving up and down her back soothingly. “Talk to me,  _ mi amor _ .”

She was quiet and still for a few moments and he gave her the time to gather her thoughts. Finally, she took a long, steadying breath and looked up at him. She couldn’t read his face, but she could see the affection in his eyes when he looked down at her. 

He could see the tears in her eyes. “If you need to cry,  _ tesoro _ , you know you can. I will even leave if you’d like.” 

“No!” She said quickly, her hands fisting in his shirt. “I’m just-” She shook her head. “It’s hard to explain.” 

“Then do not tell me how you feel. Tell me what you need from me.” He said, rubbing his hands up and down her arms from shoulder to elbow.

“How about we go for a "walk"?” She asked, raising a brow. “It would help me...clear my head. I won’t be able to sleep otherwise.” 

He laughed, the sound rolling out of him. “I have ruined you.” He lamented jovially. His fingers brushed down her cheek and over her lower lip. Her tongue followed shortly after and his grin widened. “My fiery vixen, always tempted. I  _ love _ your heat!” He hissed, lowering his lips to hers. She could feel his breath against her skin. “I love that you need me as much as I need you.” 

He kissed her, but it was gentler than she wanted and he didn’t reciprocate when she tried to deepen it. Instead, he pulled away. She let out a frustrated growl and he laughed again. “Briall,” She knew he was serious when he used her name. “Your emotions are high and most certainly more complicated than I can imagine. I need to be sure this is what you want.”

“Well,” She released his shirt and gently flattened the wrinkles out with her hands. “What I want-what I need-” She corrected herself, looking up at him. “Is you. I know that sometimes you see sex as a tool-” He opened his mouth but her finger laid over them. “and I understand why that is and I appreciate the journey you’re taking to get away from that. But it’s never been that for me. I’m not just looking for a distraction. It wouldn’t be taking advantage of me.”

“It’s hard to find the words.” She admitted. “I love it and it feels good.” Zevran raised a brow and she laughed. “Okay, it’s amazing and utterly earth-shattering. But it isn’t just about that. It’s you.” She said simply. “And me. Us. I know the way you’re with me is unlike the way you’ve been with anyone else. That means  _ so  _ much to me  Zevran.”

“Sex, making love, whatever you want to call it, being with you isn’t just physical for me. It’s a bond.” She shrugged her shoulders slightly. She was feeling a little vulnerable. “It may be silly, maybe I’m just naive and blinded by love or I’m just a slut, but it’s healing. It’s safety and trust.”

“I hope you feel the same way. Even though I’m more...reserved and unexperienced than you’re used to.” She was suddenly very scared that she was pouring her heart out only to find that the love of her life didn’t feel quite as strongly as she did. “And I hope you never get bored of me, because I’ll never get bored of you. And sex with you will  _ never  _ just be sex to me.” 

“May I speak now?” He asked with a smile. She took a deep breath to prepare herself and nodded. “ It is true, I have had exceptional and adventurous lovers in the past but they have all been eclipsed by no small margin. There is something about the way you say my name in the throes of passion that is not only exhilarating but... binding. You are the only lover I do not have to seek new excitement with to stave off boredom. I want to hold you in my arms and long to see you beside me when I wake. Without exception, that has been untrue in the past. I have no fears or doubts that I will never regret committing myself to one person for the rest of my life so long as it is you.” 

“I will never grow bored of you.” He promised her. “And your “reserve” is not a problem. You have already come a long way. I will continue to suggest new things, but not because I need them, because I think you will enjoy them. If we were to only make love in one position for the rest of our lives I would still never grow bored.” The vehemence in his voice made her heart clench. 

“Do you think I would marry you if I was simply fond of you and wanted sex?” He asked gently. She shook her head. “Correct,  _ mi amor _ . I have never loved anyone before, but I am sure that is what I feel for you. And it has made me a better person. You have. It is not just sex for me,  _ tesoro _ . However, I will always worry that I am taking advantage of you and you will have to forgive me for that. Much of the sex that I have had has indeed been to take advantage of people. I desperately do not wish to do that to you.” 

“I haven’t thought of it that way before.” She admitted. “I guess neither of us have had a healthy sexual history. But we’ll figure it out.”

“Indeed we will.” He chuckled. “Do you still wish to take a midnight stroll?” 

“Oh, absolutely. I’ve never gotten to sneak out before. Shall we try it?” She asked. “Because I would love for you to put me up against a tree and make me scare some of the local wildlife.” His smirk was answer enough for her. 

They closed the door to the bedroom quietly behind them. When they slipped down the stairs, they stayed close to the edges where the wood was less likely to creak. Despite the fact that Alistair tended to sleep lightly, they were able to slip by him on the lounge and out the back door to the garden. 

They walked through the short rows of vegetables, into the field behind the town. As they walked through the tall grass Briall all ran her fingers over the tops of the foliage letting them tickle the pads. Zevran grasped her other hand, lacing his fingers through hers as they walked together. They were quiet for a while. There wasn't much that needed to be said after the heart to heart in the bedroom. 

The sparse line of the forest was lit with moonlight. It filtered between the branches and leaves, illuminating their way with patches of ethereal light. Now that they had more privacy and that the emotions of the day were behind her, she let the lust and need flow freely through her veins. 

Sometimes the anticipation was the sweetest part. 

“We're going to need to find a good sturdy tree.” Zevran said emphasizing “sturdy”. 

Although she knew the answer, she wanted him to say it. “Why is that?” 

“You should be careful what you wish for  _ mi amor _ . I can’t deny you anything so I'm going to give you exactly what you wanted.” He chuckled. 

They walked until the lights of the town were hidden and nothing but the soft sounds of the forest surrounded them. They found the broad trunk of a tall, old oak tree. She thought that she was eager, but Zevran surprised her by pinning her against the trunk, capturing her lips with a growl. 

His hand grasped hers and held them against the trunk above her head. The other moved behind her neck, gripping tightly as he kissed her fervently. She moaned into the kiss and took the next step, teasing his lips with her tongue until he let her in. 

His response was to release her neck, hand sliding down her back to cup the soft swell of her ass and pull her hips against the cradle of his. His lips broke away from hers and he panted softly. “Do you feel that?” She nodded as he rocked his hips against her. "Do you feel how much I need you?"

She bit her lips and wiggled against him a little bit. "Mine doesn't show as much but I have the same need." She promised him. 

They broke apart and started to shed any clothing they didn't need. Briall dragged the heel of her boot against her opposite foot, peeling the boot off. She didn't even bother with the other one. She pushed her pants and smalls down her legs and pulled her unbooted for free, letting the garments scrunch against the top of her other boot.

In the time that it had taken her to do that, Zevran had discarded his shirt and unlaced his pants to free his cock. He walked toward her and she immediately jumped up to wrap her arms and legs around him. Their lips crashed together again as he pushed her back against the tree. 

Briall could feel his hard length between them and she could have sworn that the slickness between her legs doubled in that moment. 

She felt that if he didn't take her right now, she was going to die. So, as his kisses moved along her jaw and down her neck she begged for just that.

He released one leg. The ankle from which her pants dangled was still wrapped around him. Her stocking clad toes barely touched the ground but she didn't need to hold up her own weight. Even with only one arm wrapped around her, Zevran’s support was complete. His free hand guided him to her entrance and he pushed in slowly. 

His hand moved to her waist and with a snap of his hips he was buried inside of her. She cried out, her head falling back against the tree. The rough bark bit into her back and scalp but she didn’t care. He was buried deep enough inside of her to press against the spot that made her lower stomach clench and a thrum of pleasure vibrate through her.

Zevran lavished attention on her exposed neck. He ground his hips against hers, pelvis rolling against her clit. He pulled out, nearly completely and with another sharp snap of his hips, buried inside of her again. Another cry tore from her as her hand gripped his hair. The hand on her hip moved up her side, pushing up her shirt. He found her breast, teasing through her breastband. 

“More, Zevran.” She gasped. Normally he might have teased her, kept her waiting just to hear her beg. But he couldn’t help himself tonight. Not the way that she was talking and moving. “I know you want more too.” She whispered in his ear while he teased her own with his tongue. 

Teasing as a method of foreplay was common for them. However, sneaking out of the house and the long trek to the forest had already been difficult. He’d considered tackling her in the long grass to take her but his patience had been worth it. 

The way she had been breathing, heavy and needy, while she frantically removed her pants had been intoxicating. He could feel them, hitting the back of his legs as they dangled from around her ankle when he started to thrust into her again, each one harder and faster than the last. 

There was something so  _ primal _ about having frenied sex outside beneath the stars, half clothed. They needed each other so badly that only the bare minimum had been shed. Just enough for him to connect with her. He had wanted partners in the past, but it was nothing like his  _ need _ to be with her. 

Each thrust was accompanied with a grunt from Zevran and a sharp moan from Briall. Her head lolled against the tree and she couldn't believe that it felt so  _ good _ . The way he stretched her, filled her completely. The way his mouth and hands roamed her body. She always thought it couldn't be better than this, but the next time it always was. Every time was better than the last and she hoped that never stopped. 

His hand slid down her side and over the swell of her ass, squeezing until she gasped and tightened around him. His hand then continued to travel, pulling her leg up as it slid down her thigh. She wrapped it around him, hooking her ankles. It stopped at the crease of her knee, gripping tightly. Her blunt nails scored his back as she searched for purchase. 

He pulled away from her neck to take in her face. She was glorious. Her mouth open in a soft ‘o’, allowing little pants of breath to escape between her sharp moans. An occasional sharper thrust brought satisfying ‘oh!’s from her to mimic the soft shape of her lips. 

She had come so far. She was so free and trusting. The undeniable hunger in his eyes no longer caused her to draw back. The unrelenting grip of his hands didn’t frighten her. He was free, and even encouraged, to claim her. It had taken her a long time to understand that his ferocity, that  _ claiming _ wasn’t to be feared so long as she gave freely. That had been the difference between her Crow and Mallum. One among many. 

So much was in his eyes that she almost had to break his gaze. The way he demanded all of her attention left no room for the heavy emotions of the day to drain her. Every thrust was a release of its own. 

Her heels dug into the small of his back as she clenched around his cock. His head fell back and she did something she normally wasn’t want to do. She had seen it in his eyes. He wanted her wild to meet his. 

She tightened her arms around him to feel him press her tighter against the tree, fingers digging into the soft flesh of her hips. She found his shoulder and bit, teeth digging in enough to leave a mark without breaking skin. She heard him hiss sharply, an erratic thrust slamming the small of her back against the rough bark. 

His hands slid to grip her ass tightly, pulling her harder against him as he hammered into her. “ _ Mi amor.” _ He growled when she released him. He took the opportunity to kiss her. His tongue thrust against hers and she surprised him again by biting his bottom lip. 

Her arousal for him was clear by the sound of his hips slapping against the cradle of hers. The wet and feral noises of their coupling would not be a new sound to the ancient forest. She could feel his breath against her ear, grunts growing deeper and harder. The heavy panting in between told her that his heart was beating just as furiously as her own. 

She could feel the muscles of his lower back against her legs as he continued to rut into her. He was so pressing so incredibly deep inside her and yet she couldn’t help but claw at his back as if she could get him deeper than he already was. 

He knew the franticness in her. He knew what it meant. I meant that she was close. Her body's reactions were taking over without her permission. The next words he growled into her ear. His need was so heavy, his demand so raw that he couldn’t even translate it. 

“Sborro. Sborro e ti seguirò.” He demanded. Although his words were unknown, his tone had her teetering on the edge. “Te lo prometto, Briall.” Her name was enough. The way he said her name, caressed it with a soft roll of his tongue, was enough to send her hurtling into her release. 

His name passed her lips in a shout that sent slumbering birds fleeing in surprise with frantic flaps of their wings. His shout joined hers when he felt her cunt begin to spasm around him and it was the most exquisite feeling in the world. Hearing his name ringing in his ears, a sound he tore from her beautiful throat. 

It felt like an eternity before he came with her, though it was mere seconds in reality. His reaction wasn’t to cry out her name. Instead, he hissed it intimately into her ear. He whispered that she was beautiful and told her all the things that he loved about her as he spilled inside of her. She continued to chant his name like a mantra. His thrusts slowed and he hilted inside of her. 

Aftershocks of pleasure made his cock twitch and her cunt spasm around him again in bursts that made her whimper. “You are so tight,  _ mi amor _ , that I can feel your heartbeat around my cock.” They stayed like that, with her pressed up against the tree, faces buried in each other’s necks. 

This hadn't been a marathon. It had been a sprint and they had both definitely won. Now, the raw need and fury had drained out of them. Zevran slowly kissed his way along her jaw, then to her mouth. One hand moved from supporting her to brushing down her cheek. His kiss was slow and languid.

“Thank you.” She whispered when he pulled away for the briefest moment. 

He pulled back and smiled. “For what,  _ tesoro _ . Surely not this. I have gotten as much out of it as you have.” . 

“For everything.” She clarified. “For this. For my family. For staying with me during the Blight.” Her voice lowered slightly. “For just being.” 

“I don’t know that anyone has ever spoken aloud their appreciation for my existence before. Though, I have heard many declarations of the opposite.” He reached up to tease the gold ring in her ear and frowned.

“What’s wrong?” She asked immediately. Such an odd turn of conversation, especially in the middle of the forest with her pants hanging off one ankle and his down around his thighs. 

“I have not gotten you a proper ring.” He lamented. “I meant to, but-”

“Oh, Zevran, it doesn’t matter.” She cut him off, sliding her fingers through his hair. “I do have a proper ring. I just wear it in a non-traditional place. But, if it bothers you that much, when you get back from Antiva, we’ll look at rings.” 

“A good plan,  _ mi amor. _ ” He chuckled, bending his head to kiss her gently. She hummed softly against his lips and his grin broke their connection. “You seem rather satiated.” He said, somewhat proudly. “But also tired. Come, let us get you to bed.” 

She unwound her legs from around him and he lowered her so that she could set her feet on the forest floor. He stepped away from her to retrieve his shirt and lace up his pants. She had to twist her pants around her ankle to slip her other leg back in. She righted her shirt, readjusting her breastband where Zevran’s groping had dislodged it. 

She tried to step away from the tree but her head snapped back and she nearly fell onto her ass. “Andraste’s  _ tits _ !” She yelled. Not one to curse under normal circumstances, Zevran’s head snapped up. 

Her long hair had been pressed between her lower back and the tree. The result of their frantic coupling had tangled the ends of her long hair among the ridges of the bark. His alarm immediately dissipated and he couldn’t help but throw his head back and laugh. 

“It’s not funny!” She cried and yet, at his reaction, she could barely hold back her own laughter. Some of it came out in an inelegant snort. 

“Would you like assistance or shall I leave you here until I am ready to ravage you again later?” He asked with a smirk. She tilted her head slightly and glared playfully. “I simply cannot argue with that.” He laughed. 

He squatted so that he could more easily see her hair, untangling it from the rough, woody scales of the tree trunk. As he stood, he took her hand. He laced his fingers through hers and raised them to his lips so that he could kiss the back of her hand. As he did, he looked at her through his impossibly long lashes, his eyes burning with adoration. It made her whole body melt. 

They headed back in the direction of Gallow’s Moor. They took their time, exchanging occasional glances and soft smiles, but few words. The trees thinned and gradually the forest ended all together. As they entered the field, Briall squinted into the distance. 

“Do you see that?” She asked, her steps faltering. “That-that looks like fire. Is that-” Her heart turned cold in her chest and dropped into her stomach. “That’s my parent’s house!” She gasped. She didn’t realize it, but her grip on his hand was so tight her knuckles turned white. 

He gently pried his fingers free and moved to stand in front of her, blocking her view. His hands framed her face. “Look at me.” He ordered. It took a moment, but she did. Of all of the battles they had fought, all that they had endured together, he’d only ever seen true, paralyzing fear in her eyes once before. 

“Take a breath.” He instructed. He breathed with her and nodded. “Good. Remember, Alistair is with them. You cannot let your emotions run rampant. You need to focus, Warden.” He used her title deliberately, hoping it would help ground her. 

She drew in another breath, less shaky than the last and nodded. 

“And now, we run.” 

  
  


Sborro=Cum

Sborro e ti seguirò=Cum and I will follow you

Te lo prometto=I promise

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I just love these two soooo much! My heart is bursting with it.
> 
> Comments and kudos, as always, are so incredibly appreciated-as are you!
> 
> Much love  
> Jacklyn
> 
> Tumblr: jacklyn-flynn


	3. Lo Voglio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience everyone! The wedding is finally here and I hope it was worth the wait!

Zevran and Briall approached the house carefully. They stayed low enough in the tall foliage of the field to sneak right up to the edge of it. Two men were at the back of the house, halfway between the back wall and the edge of the field where they watched. One of them was stuffing a rag into a bottle. 

Briall glanced at Zev, brow raised. Zevran nodded silently in return. 

It had been a while since Briall felt magic crackle at her fingertips. Vapors of cold air rose from her hands. With a thrust, ice shot from her outstretched fingers. It created a trail of frost along the ground as it flew, slamming into the man with the makeshift firestarter. He never even knew what hit him. 

By the time the second man could even think to react, Zevran was on him. A quick twist of his head and he slumped to the ground. He looked into the windows to the kitchen and found it dark and empty. Briall checked the back door and found it still locked and barred. Assured that no one had entered that way, Zevran motioned for her to go around the left side of the house and gestured that he would go right. 

She stayed close to the walls, soft boots allowing her to walk in relative silence. The courtyard that the house faced was lit up by the bonfire in the center. At the front of the fire, just starting to catch, was an effigy of her tied to a post. It sported a hastily made Warden uniform and a mop of red yarn for hair. 

A group of people, mostly men, surrounded the fire and stood in front of the house. She quickly tallied about twenty of them. All were armed, some with just farming implements. Most, however, had actual weapons. Weapons they had kept from the Blight. 

“Give us the murderous bitch, we won’t ask again!” The loud mouth was shorter but stockily built. 

“Fuck off!” Alistair shouted back from the front window. “ _ I _ won’t ask again!”

Briall backtracked to the nearest window and rapped softly. Nolan’s face appeared and he struggled to open the window. He got it opened just a crack bent to look at her. “Get Alistair and our parents and go out the back. If you have stuff packed, take it, but don’t linger.” 

“There are two men out there!” he whispered back loudly. 

“Not anymore. Hurry! Go!” She urged him with a wave of her hand. 

“We’ll wait for you at Estain. It’s a town 10 miles northwest of here. Be careful!” He disappeared from the window and she snuck back to the corner of the house. She couldn’t see Zevran, but she knew he would adapt to her plan, even though he wasn’t going to like it. 

She raised her hands and stepped out from the shelter of the house. She walked out slowly, not wanting to set off the explosive rage bubbling just under the surface of the mob. 

“Okay, I’m here,” she said loud enough to be heard over the bonfire and general din of the people. 

“You!” The leader thrust his sword in her direction. “You may have ended the Blight but you should not be above the law! If the King won’t hold you accountable, we will as the citizens of Ferelden!” 

“Loghain was a traitor. He abandoned us at Ostagar, left the King to die so that he could steal his power.” She knew she couldn’t reason with him. With any of them. Maybe she could save some lives and limbs though. “Look, you may be able to overpower me, but I’m not alone. I don’t want to, but I will kill in order to protect myself and those I love.” She said evenly with a calm, soothing tone.

It wasn’t working. She could feel all of the tension bubbling at the surface, ready to explode. People were starting to join into a short chant.  _ Burn her _ . She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and glanced over at Zevran as he materialized from the shadows. He had his short sword now and was twirling it menacingly. He gave her the briefest of nods.

“If you don’t want him to die, tell him to leave!” the man yelled, swinging his sword in Zevran’s direction. “Otherwise he’s going to burn like you.” Briall had seen many methods of death in her time. Many that still haunted her when she closed her eyes some nights. By far, the death she feared most for herself or those she loved was burning. Pure agony that could go on for minutes. 

“Please,” she entreated once more.. “Just go home. I don’t want anyone to die.” 

“None of you who engage in this lunacy will walk away unscathed. I promise that,” Zevran said, moving to stand beside her. “Should you refuse her offer to let you leave now, just know that she will show you far more mercy than I. She only fights to incapacitate. I-” He frowned and shook his head. The confidence that oozed from Zevran gave her a shiver, even after all this time. “I do not.” 

“You may kill some of us, but you can’t possibly get all of us. We’re willing to make that sacrifice to watch you burn,” the man said, venom in his voice. 

“Are you all  _ individually _ willing to be such a sacrifice?” Zevran pointed out, his eyes wandered the crowd, catching a few people’s gaze as if he was asking them directly.

A few people glanced at each other but it seemed no one wanted to be the first one to break away. Unfortunately, before anyone had the chance to gather their courage, the tension broke. 

“The shelterers are getting away! What happened to our men in the back?” The leader demanded. Briall glanced back to see her family and Alistair escaping with a wagon scantily loaded with belongings. 

“We killed them before they could burn my family alive. I assure you that we are very serious about-” No one was interested in further talking. They had drawn first blood, regardless of those mens’ intent. 

An arrow flew past her face. Uncomfortably close. Her magic responded of its own will. Lightening shot from her fingertips, crackling from one person to the next leaving twitching bodies in its wake. No one fled despite the loss of over a quarter of their number.

Zevran caught her attention and then after a quick series of hand signals, disappeared around the right flank of the crowd. Briall called forth her ice magic again, letting it build until her fingertips started to go numb with cold and turn blue. With a shout she brought her hands together and a wall of ice slammed through the middle of the crowd. It sliced through the burning effigy, putting out the majority of the blaze and sending embers and glowing wood into the air to shower over the crowd. 

The mob was now essentially cut in half, each side cut off from the other with an eight foot wall of jagged ice. She immediately cut left, trusting Zevran to control the mob on the right side of the wall. 

Briall realized how quickly battle instincts kicked back in, even after months of unuse. A man with a tree axe came barreling toward her. With a quick motion, the tool turned weapon flew from his hands and over the heads of his companions, far out of anyone’s reach. Not even being disarmed slowed him down. 

He charged into her before she could regather her magic. His shoulder hit low, just under her rib cage. All of her breath left her lungs as she was lifted off the ground. Briall was slammed against the ground and the man raised his fist to strike her face. She kneed him in the groin and pressed her hand to his face, fingers splayed wide. She pushed him away from her, calling forth her fire at the same time. 

The man’s agonized scream ripped through the town center, heard above most of the din. He covered his blistering face with his hands and writhed in the dirt. Before she could lift herself off the ground, another man ran toward her. She nearly attacked him when he turned to grab the man who had assaulted her and pulled him between two houses. 

With a relieved sigh, she pushed herself off the ground, wincing at the pain in her stomach. She caught a movement in the back of the crowd and threw up another ice wall. An arrow thunked into it, chipping the ice before falling to the ground. With a push of magic, the wall shattered outward, raining jagged shrapnel over the crowd. 

Finding her footing again in a battle stance, she waited for the next attack. None came though. People were nursing wounds and the mob now looked at her with fear instead of fury. 

“Please,” Briall pleaded again. In an intimidating show of power, one hand crackled with little arcs of lightning while the other smoked and rippled with heat. Though she could easily call forth either element immediately, she hoped that she wouldn’t have to. “Go home.” 

The sounds of battle on the other side of the wall had stopped as well. The only sound in the town center was the snapping and crackling of ice. Their bonfire was extinguished, her effigy in pieces and strewn across the ground. What remained of their original numbers were divided and weakened.

The first man to break grabbed the sleeve of the man next to him, pushing their way through the remaining people to disappear. Their departure opened the floodgates. Some people backed away, keeping an eye on her while they retreated. Zevran appeared beside her as she watched the rest of the people disappear into houses. 

She glanced over and saw blood running down his arm. “Yours?” she asked. 

He scoffed and shook his head. “You wound me.” He grinned, his eyes teasing. “Are you whole,  _ mi amore _ ?” 

“I’m alright.” She looked around the town center, shaking her head. “I didn’t want any of this to happen,” she said softly. “I’ve only ever tried to help people.” 

Zevran wrapped his arms around her, one hand moving to her hair as she tucked her head under his chin. “Of course you did not want this to happen,  _ tesoro _ . Some people do not want to be helped. Some people are never satisfied with peace.” 

She pulled away and wiped at her eyes before he could see her tears. “We should go before someone decides to get bold again.” 

He took her hand, weaving his fingers through hers and lifted it to his lips, kissing her knuckles lightly. They walked to the small stable and found that Alistair had taken two of their horses to pull the wagon and her family to safety. Zevran lifted her onto the remaining mount and then swung up behind her. With a tap of his heels, the horse trotted forward, huffing. 

They rode in silence for a while before Briall looked behind them. “I think the house is burning,” she said sadly, watching the billowing smoke rising from Gallows Moor.

“It will do you no good to watch.” Zevran was right. She looked forward again, nodding. 

“I’ve ruined their lives, Zev. I didn't realize people hated me  _ so _ much. It would have been better if I’d never come.” She rested back against him, closing her eyes. Why had she expected anything else? She'd seen the worst people had to offer and this, unfortunately wasn't the most extreme of that.

One arm wrapped around her. “Do not say such things,  _ tesoro _ . I brought you here. I am to blame for this. I knew the risks and brought you anyway. Your family desperately wanted to meet you, even knowing such a thing may happen and I allowed them to take that risk. Let me carry the weight of this outcome. You had no part in it.”

She felt him press a kiss to the top of her head. “I am sorry,  _ mi amore _ . I promise that everything will work out. Your family will be safe and happy in a home where they do not have to hide who they are, or who you are. You should ask your parents which they would rather have; you or their house.” He nuzzled her cheek with the side of his jaw. “I assure you, Briall, that they will emphatically and without hesitation choose you.” 

()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()

Part of Briall’s guilt was assuaged by seeing her family and Alistair. The king breathed an audible sigh of relief and met her by the horse, catching her as she dismounted. He hugged her tightly with a growl. “I know I shouldn’t have been, but I was worried.” He released her and stepped aside to let her see her family, standing together. 

Her face fell and she started toward them. “I’m so sorry,” she said quickly, already feeling the tears in her eyes. “The house is gone and you’re-”

“My sweet girl!” Her mother surged forward to embrace her tightly. “We were so scared that something would happen to you!” she said against Briall’s hair. Her father hugged her next, his voice gruff when he spoke.

“I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m so sorry that happened. We knew that they supported Logain, but we never imagined they would turn violent like that.” Releasing her, he brushed away her tears with his thumb. She shook her head, wanting to tell him that it wasn’t his fault at all, but Nolan pushed his way between them. 

“Did you get hurt? Are you okay Zev?” His words came out in a jumble and he looked around Briall to Zevran. 

“ _ Si _ , we are unharmed,  _ fratellino _ .” The assassin wrapped one arm around Briall and ruffled her brother’s hair. 

“Good,” he said with a solemn nod. “I like having a big brother and sister around.” 

“You aren’t mad at me for destroying your home? You’ve lived there for so long.” Briall looked at each member of her family in turn. 

“Little one, it was never our home. Simply the place we stayed and hoped you would return to us. It was convenient because it was close to where we thought you were. Now we can make a home and be close to you. Wherever that is.” Her father’s reassurance made her throat tighten. 

“We get to watch you get married!” Her mother’s excitement, despite the early morning hour and the events of the night, did much to lift her spirits. “Do you understand what that means to us? To have you back at such an important part of your life? We couldn’t be there for your childhood, but you’ve grown into a beautiful, kind,  _ strong _ woman and you’ve done amazing things! We’re so proud of you.” 

Briall bit her lower lip and leaned into Zevran to keep from shaking. She swallowed hard and nodded. “I don’t know what to say.” Zevran had been right. Of course he had been right. Their unconditional love after so short a time made it hard to keep from sobbing. 

Zevran’s arm moved up and around her shoulder to squeeze her tightly against him. He could see her struggling to keep from losing it completely. She was anxious, exhausted and overwhelmed. They were her family, but it was also still new. She rarely cried, even in front of Zevran and Alistair. Perhaps that was why he had to resist the urge to pick her up and take her away to seclusion. He bent his head to whisper in her ear. “You should suggest we set up camp. You are exhausted,  _ tesoro _ , as are we all."

With a nod, she looked back at her family. “I think we’re a safe enough distance from Gallow’s Moor to make camp. They’ll probably be licking their wounds for a while.” 

“I’ll get a fire going and take the first watch.” Alistair offered. “You all get some sleep.” 

“You’re the best,” Briall said with a smile. 

“Yeah, I know.” He gave her a grin and headed off to gather wood.

()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()

Most everyone slept well into the morning. Briall was the first to rise and sat down beside her father who had taken last watch. He wrapped his arm around her and they sat quietly for a little while without talking, just staring off into the distance. After a time, she felt him press a kiss to the top of her head. 

“How are you feeling?” Rhys asked softly. 

“I’m not sure.” Briall had to admit that her thoughts still hadn’t settled. “I’m glad you’re okay but I still feel like I made a mistake.” 

“By coming to see us?” He squeezed her tight against his side. “Don’t. You have no idea how happy we are to have you back. Your mother and I would have traded much more than our house to have you back sooner.” 

“I wish you could have seen my dress.” Briall sighed. 

“I will see it.” Rhys looked down at her when she pulled away and looked up at him in surprise. “Your idiot brother ran back upstairs and grabbed it before we left. Your mother almost lost her mind. It’s stuffed in a bag somewhere. Probably a little wrinkled, but whole.” 

Shaking her head, Briall smiled. “I would have been upset too. He’s impulsive. He must get that from his sister.” 

He chuckled. “Who got it from her father.” Standing he offered his hand to help her up. “Speaking of impulsive; how would you feel about getting married today?” 

“Today? After last night?” She was a bit skeptical. 

“What better time? It had been a while since I was reminded how fragile life can be and how quickly it can change. We want to see you happy and you never know what tomorrow will bring. I spoke with Alistair last night. He said you wanted something simple. We’re here. Zevran is here. Alistair is here. Is that too simple?” 

“No,” she said with a smile. “That sounds perfect.” 

“That’s good,” Alistair said from behind her, startling her, “you’ll be the only one dressed for the occasion. There’s a town a few hours from here. We can get our bearings and any supplies we need. Then, I was thinking-” 

“Dangerous, dear king.” Zevran chuckled and winked at Nolan who snorted as he crawled out of his bedroll. 

“Har, har.” Alistair shot back. “As I was  _ saying _ ; I was thinking that maybe I could take your family back toward Denerim while you and Zev took some time for yourselves. You could either meet us there or catch up later.” 

“Are you sure that would be okay?” She asked hesitantly of the group. 

“Heck yeah!” Nolan’s enthusiasm was electric. “Travel with a king? There is no better way to go. Besides, I don’t wanna be around for all the adult stuff you’re gonna do. I wanna be far, far away for that.” 

Alistair laughed and raised his hand, palm out. Nolan immediately high-fived him. “Breakfast? Er...lunch rather? Both?”

“Andraste’s knickers, yes!” Nolan’s enthusiasm only grew at the mention of food. 

“Are you sure those two are  _ not _ related?” Zevran raised a brow, watching the two head off to restart the fire, both loudly discussing their favorite breakfast and lunch items. 

Briall laughed, looking up at her father to find his face blank. He caught her eye and shrugged. “We’re all a little wild before we settle down, right?” He headed off to wake up Briall’s mother, still straight faced. 

Now that they had a few moments alone, Zevran gathered Briall in his arms. “What do you think, _tesoro_? Would you like to go to bed tonight as a married woman?”

When she smiled, her emerald eyes sparkled. “Tonight and every night after?”

“All of them.” He kissed her to seal his promise. 

()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()

Zevran rarely had cause in his life to be nervous. But he was nonetheless. The sun would be setting soon and while it hadn’t been planned for this time, it would make a perfect backdrop for their wedding. It had to be perfect. So few things were for Briall, or him for that matter. Was he truly good enough to be a husband.  _ Her _ husband? 

“You look pale.” Eryn’s soft voice startled him. “Are you going to throw up? Rhys did on our wedding day.” 

He chuckled and shook his head. “Nervous, but not so nervous as that,” he assured her. “I simply want to do what is right by Briall. I am not the most...desirable mate. My history is soaked in red.” 

“I don’t think ‘undesirable’ would be on Briall’s list of descriptors when it comes to you.” Eryn assured him. “You protect her, but still let her be herself. You love her, that much is clear. I can promise you that as her mother, I would speak up if I thought she was making a mistake. It’s only been a few days but I can see that she is not.” 

“And that is why I want to give you this.” Eryn pulled the gold ring from her own finger and held it out to him. 

“I could not.” He immediately declined. 

“It’s not a gift, it’s a tradition. My grandfather saved for three years to buy my grandmother a proper wedding band. In the end, all he could manage to save was a single gold sovereign. Since he couldn’t buy her the one he wanted with it, he made a ring out of it. It’s been passed down to the first born daughter of every generation on their wedding day.” She set it in his hand. 

It was still warm from her skin. The outside still had a hammered texture to it, despite how it had been smoothed from years of wear. On the inside, he could still see some of the stamping from the original coin. 

“I would be truly honored to be the one to put it on her hand.” Zevran accepted with a nod. “Thank you.” 

Eryn stood on her tiptoes and he obligingly bent down to let her kiss his cheek. “She’s ready for you. We’d best get going or Alistair is going to start crying. He barely kept it together when he saw my beautiful girl in her dress.” 

“Mmm, yes. He does get quite emotional.” He agreed with a grin. “Though, I would be lying if I said I may not have a hard time as well.” 

“You surely will.” She laughed. Zevran offered her his arm and they walked back to the small clearing they’d found outside the relatively large town of Amarin. It would have been faster to go to the town at the docks of Lake Calenhad but no one was particularly excited at that prospect. Amarin had everything they needed and a few extras. The clothes they bought weren’t formal by any means, but nicer than the clothes they’d fled in. 

They had no altar, chairs or decorations other than the beautiful trees around them and the soft, green grass beneath their feet. As he walked toward Alistair, who indeed looked like he was about to cry, Nolan stepped in front of them. 

“Mother, I’d like to talk to Zevran alone please.” He looked very serious. “We need to have a talk. Man to man.” 

“Oh, well. I had best join our king then. Don’t be too hard on him.” Eryn said, barely holding back a smile. 

“What can I do for you, young master Iyann?” Zevran asked graciously. 

“I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what would happen if you hurt my sister.” His arms crossed over his chest and he tried to look commanding, even though he had to look up at Zevran. 

“You would hurt me, of that I am sure.” Zevran was able to keep his face neutral. As adorable as it may have been he could tell that Nolan was quite serious.

“Slowly and painfully. So long as you know, you can marry Bri. Just...don’t ever forget. This is forever,” he said solemnly. 

“I promise you I will not forget. Nor will you ever be required to act on your threat.” Despite the child’s age and youthful bluster, it was a promise that he had every intention of keeping. “I would rather die than see your sister unhappy in any way.” 

“Good. I’ll go tell them you’re ready.” Before Zevran could thank him, he was already running away, his mop of strawberry blonde hair tousled in the breeze. 

“Are you ready, Zev?” Alistair asked as he approached. Zevran smiled with a confident nod. 

“I am nervous, but I have also never been so sure of a thing in my life. I am only nervous that  _ she  _ may be making a mistake.” He admitted. 

Alistair’s eyes moved behind him and he thrust his chin in that direction. “She doesn’t look like she thinks marrying you is a mistake.” 

With a bracing breath, he turned. The breath caught in his throat. 

Briall was….exquisite. Ethereal. Stunning. Resplendent. So many words to describe her but the one he liked the most was “ _ his _ ”. The emerald green beneath the ivory lace made her eyes fairly glow. Some of her orange-red hair was braided and wound around the crown of her head. The rest tumbled down her back. Small white flowers stood out against the fire and a ring of the same blossoms hung around her neck against her pale skin. 

She held no flowers, both hands folded over the crook of her proud father’s arm. When she walked, or rather flawlessly glided, the skirt of the dress flowed around her legs, bare feet peeking out from beneath the hem. 

“ _ Bellissima _ ,” he whispered, having to actively concentrate on keeping his mouth from falling open like a gasping fish. “ _ Sono un uomo fortunato _ .”

Her father kissed her hand and moved to stand with her mother and brother. Zevran took both of her hands, holding them between his own. He couldn’t help himself. Taking a step closer he leaned in to kiss her only to have Alistair’s hand land on his face and push him back. Briall smiled and bit her lip. 

“Hold your horses. We haven’t gotten to that part yet.” Alistair chastised, glowering. Briall didn’t seem to care though. Standing on tiptoes she kissed him gently though she pulled away far sooner than he would have liked. Alistair groaned. “You should know better,” He grumbled at Briall. 

“I do,” she murmured, unable to take her eyes off of Zevran. She had intended to add ‘know better’ but it just wouldn’t come out. Zevran’s cheeky smile told her that he approved.

Alistair threw up his hands. “Have any of you been to a wedding before? Shall we just do it backwards?” When no one answered, he sighed heavily. “Fine. Let’s get this going then.” He cleared his throat. “Uh...So…” He fell silent. 

“Do you actually know how to marry someone?” Nolan asked, brows raised when Alistiar didn’t speak for a few moments. 

“No,” Alistair admitted. “I mean I know a little bit but it talks about the Maker and I don’t think these two are big on him so…” 

“Well make something up!” Nolan cried. “You’re the king, if you say they’re married, they’re married.” 

“You’re right. Okay. Um, Zevran, do you promise to protect, love and cherish Briall for the rest of your days?”

“Without reservation.” His answer was immediate. 

“Bri, anything else you want him to promise while we’re here?” Alistair asked with a grin. 

“No, that’s perfect.” Her laugh was musical. 

“Briall, do you promise to tolerate, brave and withstand Zevran and his lewd advances for the rest of your days?” 

“I do.” There was no hesitation on her part either. 

“Are you sure?” Alistair asked. 

“Absolutely,” she said breathlessly as Zevran slipped a gold ring on her finger. Where had he gotten that? 

“Alright, well at least we’re doing this in the right order now.” The king said under his breath. “Then, as the King of Ferelden, if you’re both, really, really sure-”

“Alistair!” Nolan yelled, throwing up his hands and widening his eyes. “Seriously!” 

“I pronounce you husband and wife. You may-” But he never got to finish. 

Zevran wrapped his arms around Briall and picked her up. With a laugh, she framed his face with her hands and lowered her head to kiss him deeply. Her hair slid over her shoulders and fell around them, her arms circling his neck. They ignored or couldn’t hear the cheers of their loved ones, lost in each other. 

Finally parting when Alistair cleared his throat quiet loudly, Zevran lowered her bare feet back to the ground but kept her tight against him. “I love you, my beautiful wife,” he murmured against her lips before kissing her again. 

“ _ Ti amo molto. Non posso vivere senza di te.”  _ Briall replied, making his eyes light up. She’d been practicing the phrase in his native language while he had been away for just this moment. He shook his head, unable to find words in any language. Instead, he just kissed her again. 

The small grove grew dim as the sun passed beneath the treeline. The little group exchanged hugs and words of wisdom and love. They also shared a small, simple meal, though Briall was far too excited to get down more than a few bites. She kept staring at Zevran with a bright smile on her face. Often, he was doing the same thing when she looked at him. 

“We should head back to town and get some sleep. We’re leaving early tomorrow morning.” Rhys announced, much to Briall and Zevran’s delight. She didn’t want to be rude and send them away, but she was eager to be alone with her husband for the first time. 

And, she couldn't deny, was also eager to have her wedding night. 

“Here, little one. You’ll want to change into these.” Her mother presented a folded pile of clothes. “You wouldn’t want to ruin your beautiful wedding dress. We’ll take it with us and keep it safe.” 

She bit her lip, looking at Zevran. He chuckled and gestured at the clothes. “As much as I would delight in peeling that dress off of you, quite slowly, your dear mother is correct. My plans for you would quite ruin your exquisite attire. We will plan another time for that experience,” he assured her. 

Zevran advised that he should absolutely not help her change in the shelter of the trees because he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off of her and that would surely ruin the night. She couldn’t argue with that. She was about ready to jump him as well. 

After another round of hugs, Alistair and the Iyann’s left them alone in the grove, her dress draped carefully over her father’s arm. Turning to face him, she raised her hand and wiggled her left ring finger. “Where, and also when, did you manage to find this?” 

He recounted the story that Eryn had told him, pulling her into his arms when tears gathered in her eyes. She slid her arms around his waist and up his back, looking up at him with a smile. “So, what did you have planned for us that would ruin my dress?” She wanted to change the subject before she started to cry outright.

Her fingers ran up and down his spine and she could feel Zevran’s hips shifting uncomfortably at her sly grin and hungry eyes. “Swimming,” he said, distractedly. 

“Swimming?” Briall asked, clearing waiting for him to tell her what that particular euphemism meant. When he merely nodded, her brows furrowed in confusion. “Actual swimming?” 

Zevran took a few steps back, his hands sliding down her arms as she released him so that he could grasp her hands. He kissed the back of her right hand, then her left, his lips lingering on her ring. “ _ Si, mi amore.” _ Lacing her fingers through his, he tugged her hand until she fell into step beside him. “Shall I carry you, my barefoot bride?” 

Briall stepped easily around the branches and plants of the forest. Her first thought was to decline. Even with her tower days years behind her, she relished the feel of anything other than cold stone beneath her feet. But, the idea of spending more time in Zevran’s arms was far too appealing to pass up. “Sure.” 

He released her hand and turned to give her his back, kneeling slightly. “Hop on.” She could  _ hear  _ the smile on his lips. 

“Not what I expected.” Her laugh made him chuckle. She hopped up and wrapped her legs around his waist and arms around his neck. He hooked his arms under her legs and stood, resuming their course through the forest. Her arms relaxed, hanging loosely off of his shoulders with her hands clasped. She rested her chin on one shoulder, turning slightly to nuzzle his neck. She was rewarded with a purr of pleasure that sent warmth running through her. 

“Marrying a beautiful, strong woman who could bring me to my knees is not what I expected either.” She playfully bit his earlobe and tugged, making him hiss and squeeze her legs. 

“Perhaps you should walk faster,  _ marito _ .” She murmured into his ear as the flat of her foot began to tease the partially hard bulge in his pants. Without the smart remark she was expecting, he merely grunted and picked up his pace. 

Fratellino=baby/little brother (endearment)

Sono un uomo fortunato=I am a lucky man

Ti amo molto=I love you so much/very much

Non posso vivere senza di te=I can’t live without you

Marito=husband

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! I love hearing your thoughts and your love makes my day!
> 
> There's one more chapter in store and it is going to be, pretty much, pure smut. Including a type of smut that I haven't written before, so that will be interesting for sure!
> 
> I love you all so much! <3 Jacks


	4. La Prima Notte

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the wedding night!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a lot of Antivan in this chapter. You can find all of the translations in the notes at the end of the chapter. It's so sexy and on-brand for Zev, I couldn't resist!

Zevran walked quickly through the forest with Briall against his back, arms wrapped around his shoulders. Her lips on his neck and ear were incredibly distracting. Despite the bright moon, he found himself tripping occasionally. Her bright laughter in his ear made his whole body burn with need. She truly was magical. 

“You aren’t lost, are you?” she whispered in his ear before biting the tip. The tips of his ears were one of his erogenous spots. At least with her. It always sent a shiver down his spine. 

“Not lost,” he said, his arms squeezing her legs, “merely trying to get to our destination before I am forced to take you in the forest because I cannot resist your charms anymore.” 

“Our little liaison in the forest the other night wasn’t so bad.” Her reminder made him groan. Half clothed and frantic with her moans and cries echoing into the night. He  _ had _ to keep his composure. Just a little bit longer. 

The trees stopped, framing an enormous hole in the ground. Tall grass that tickled her ankles grew up to the edge and she could see vines and creeping flowers disappearing into the darkness. “Where exactly are we going?” Briall asked skeptically. “I know this was short notice and our resources are limited, but a pit of despair was not what I thought you would have in mind.”

He released her legs and she dropped to the ground, walking closer to the edge to look down into the hole. “It is not a ‘pit of despair’,” he sounded wounded, though only playfully so, “it is a swimming hole.” He stood with her on the edge and bent to look over. “Would you be so kind as to provide us light,  _ mi amore _ ?” 

Soft balls of fairy lights sprang from her palm and drifted down into the hole. Flowering vines and foliage clung to the rough rock walls. The water below seemed to soak up the light and glowed a brilliant turquoise that faded into an inky blackness much further down. Petals that had been shed by the flowers growing along the walls floated on the glassy surface. 

“Shall we take a swim?” His voice, so close to her ear, surprised her. She turned her head to look at him and she couldn’t resist stealing a kiss. When Zevran pulled away, he laid a kiss on the tip of her nose, then her forehead. 

“Do you have a plan to get us out of there? It has to be 30 feet down.” Looking into the basin again, she watched the lights hover and swirl over the water. 

“You wound me,  _ tesoro. _ Of course, I have a plan.” He started to shed his clothes, setting them in a pile without bothering to fold them. “There is a cave system below. It leads back into the forest and toward town. And no,” -he cut off before she could ask- “it is not like the caves we have had the misfortune to frequent in the past. It is quite dry and warm and spider-free.” 

She let out an exaggerated sigh and started to pull her shirt over her head. Before she could get it over her face, he captured her wrists. He pulled up the neck of her shirt to reveal just her lips, which were curled into an amused smile. Zevran’s kiss was incredibly light and far too fleeting. Her tongue ran over her full lower lip, enticing him back for a real kiss. 

His lips pressed to hers, slanting slowly but with increasing urgency. She hummed in pleasure and opened her mouth to him but he pulled away before he lost himself. Releasing her wrists, he helped her pull her shirt off and dropped it onto the ground. Her dark lashes raised slowly and she pierced him with her emerald eyes. It took his breath away. He watched with rapt fascination as she quickly shed the rest of her clothes. She stood pale in the moonlight, porcelain skin marred by small, faded scars but perfect nonetheless. Her fire orange hair fell over her shoulders. The little white flowers from the ceremony were still scattered in her locks. 

He made a small gesture and she turned around for him. With deft hands, he unwound the braid and took it out, letting the silky strands slide through his fingers. Drawing her hair back, he kissed her shoulder gently, then her neck. “Are you ready to jump with me,  _ mi amore _ ?” he whispered into her ear.

Closing her eyes, Briall recited the words that he had spoken to her at the gates of Denerim. It seemed like it was so long ago, but she would never forget those words. “In truth, for the chance to be by your side I would storm the Dark City itself. Never doubt it."

The hand on her shoulder tightened and she heard his breath hitch. He stood stock-still behind her. Laying her hand over his, she turned to look over her shoulder. “Are you okay, Zev?” 

Turning her slowly, he kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her to squeeze her against him. “I am speechless,  _ tesoro. _ ” 

Briall slid her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. With her head tucked under his chin and cheek pressed against his chest, she could hear his rapid heartbeat. “Alistair will never believe it.” 

She felt his frame shake with laughter. “Indeed, he will not.” Zevran agreed, releasing her. Walking to the edge, he held out his hand for her. Stepping up beside him, she grasped it, lacing their fingers together. At the same time, they jumped. 

It felt like they were falling forever. Briall expected the water to be frigid, but as she plunged into the pool, she was surrounded by warmth. She’d lost Zevran’s hand when they hit the water. Breaking through the surface with a gasp, she pushed her hair away from her face. 

She turned in the water, looking for her husband. The lights she’d conjured continued to float lazily above her head, making the water sparkle in odd patterns along the rock walls. With a shout of surprise, she felt hands slide up the back of her calves and thighs. As Zevran pushed his way to the surface, his hands continued to roam her body. When he came up for air he pushed his hair back with a flirtatious grin.

“What do you think,  _ tesoro? _ ” She looked back up the basin and the moon high above them. The flowering vines looked even more beautiful standing out against the dark sky. 

“I think that I have never regretted trusting you before and I certainly don’t now.” Looking over at him she swam a little closer. “Did you want to swim for a while or…” 

His brow raised as Briall trailed off. He seemed to think about it for a moment, humming as he did. “‘Or’. I think I shall pick ‘or’. There will be time to swim later.”

“Much later?” Briall asked hopefully. 

“Oh,  _ mi amore. _ Much,  _ much _ later.” His voice just dripped with sultry hunger. 

Zevran swam to the edge of the pool, pulling himself up onto a ledge that led back into a high-ceilinged cave. It was under a couple of feet of water, gradually rising at a lazy angle to lap at the dry rock floor. He offered his hand and pulled her up with him. Still standing in the shallow water, he tugged her against him. His hand moved slowly to her cheek, brushing with this thumb gently as he bent his head to kiss her. 

His other hand slid around her side, fingers splaying wide at the small of her back. “My beautiful wife.” He purred against her lips, resting his forehead against hers and nuzzling her nose with his own. “To think that I have come to deserve such a miraculous thing.” 

“I don’t think either of us pictured this in our lives,” she whispered. “But I would do all of it again-all of it-to end up at this moment.” Briall was fiercely adamant in her declaration. 

He lifted his head and opened his eyes to smile down at her, still stroking her cheek. “As would I,  _ tesoro _ .” He assured her. “I have a gift for you.” He stepped away from her, his bare feet leaving wet prints on the rock. “If you could light our candles,  _ mi amore? _ ” 

She took a moment to look into the cave. A single candle was lit toward the back, or what seemed like the back. With the hint of light, she could see the other candles scattered about the cave. As she lit them, more and more of Zevran’s work came to light.

A pallet with soft furs was laid out for them. A basket of food was beside it and next to that a pile of neatly folded clothes. Now she understood why he’d had them shed their clothes before jumping into the basin. She could see further back into the cave, to a tunnel that presumably led back out into the forest. 

“Do you remember fretting about not being experienced? How I said not to worry and that I would suggest things to broaden your horizons?” He sat down on the furs and beckoned her with a crook of his finger and hungry eyes. 

She could already feel her cheeks flushing. Whatever it was, the gift was bound to be... _ spicy. _ Briall sat down beside him, raising her legs to lay them over his lap. He slid an arm around her with a grin. “Would you like to try something new?” He asked, finally holding up the gift. 

It was made of glass and glittered in the candlelight. The glass was clear, with swirls of cobalt. It was about three inches long in the shape of an elongated teardrop. At the rounded end, a small section about as wide around as her finger protruded and then flared out into a flat circle about the size of a sovereign. 

“And what, exactly, is this?” she asked, taking it from him to get a better look. “The craftsmanship is certainly exquisite.” 

“Nothing but the best for my wife.” He nuzzled her ear as he purred his next words. “That,  _ mi amore _ , is a toy with a very indelicate name. It is a butt plug.”

“Am I to assume it goes in my-” She started, then had to clear her throat. His breathy chuckle into her ear made her shiver. 

“Indeed.” He confirmed. “It will bring many wonderful sensations in a variety of scenarios, many of which I would like to show you tonight. If you are willing.” He pulled back, his fingers curling under her chin to bring her face toward him until she looked up at him with those brilliant green eyes he just loved losing himself in. 

“ _ If _ you are not comfortable,  _ mi amore,  _ I assure you I will not be disappointed,” he said it vehemently, letting her see in his eyes that he meant it. “Do not say ‘yes’ just for my sake.”

“I’d like to try it,” she said with a soft shrug. 

“ _ Meraviglioso _ .” He said with a grin. “What is your word tonight?” Zevran asked, taking the toy back from her. 

“Hmm, given recent events...I think Loghain.” She smiled. 

“The man would surely be rolling in his grave were he to learn that his name is your safe word.” Zevran laughed, bright and clear until it echoed in the cave and off the water in the basin. 

“My safe word with the assassin that he hired to kill me.” What she wouldn’t give to have Loghain's reaction on  _ that _ . Zevran almost dropped the toy he was laughing so hard. He hadn’t thought of that extra bit. Clearing his throat to compose himself, he squeezed her thigh.

“First, we must get you ready. I have special oils should we need them, but lubrication is usually not an issue with you, my vixen.” He set the toy aside and gently pushed her legs off his lap. He slid from the bed to his knees, turning to face her. “Hands and knees, if you please. Show me that  _ magnificent _ cunt.” 

Briall loved it when he got that edge in his voice. Almost predatory. Certainly filled with promise. She adored how his accent grew deeper, more round. She did as he asked, resting on her knees at the edge of the pallet. She bit her lip and moaned when he wasted no time taking advantage of her position. 

His tongue slipped between her lips, sweeping from clit to slit. “Are you ever not wet,  _ mi amore _ ?” he asked, teasingly. 

“Not if you’re within sight,” she said distractedly. Her head fell to the furs and her arms stretched out grab fistfuls of them.

He hummed appreciatively. “Good answer.” He praised, flicking her clit again with the tip of his tongue. She let out a soft sigh of pleasure. Zevran’s hands slid up her thighs, cupping the globes of her backside. His thumbs pulled her lips apart so that he could give proper attention to her clit. He suckled and teased, squeezing and massaging her flesh in his hands. 

He continued for a few minutes, although it hardly felt like it when he pulled away. He blew cool air along her hot, wet flesh, sending a shiver down her spine. “I am going to use your succulent arousal to make it easier for you. It's going to be a bit cold but your hot, needy cunt should warm it up nicely.” 

She nodded absently. Anything to ease the ache of need. She felt the cool, smooth tip slip easily into her entrance. She bit her lip and let out another soft moan. She heard him chuckle as he slowly pumped it in and out with slow strokes. “Imagine how it will feel in the intended orifice.” Zevran murmured, angling the toy downward to hit the spot that made her keen. 

His hand slid up the length of her back and he kissed up the swell of her ass to her lower back. “Are you ready,  _ tesoro _ ?” he asked against her skin. 

“Yes,” she said without hesitation, though not without a bit of nervousness. 

Zevran drew the toy from her dripping cunt, sliding it up to the tight bud. He swirled the tip, coating her generously in her own slick. His hand stayed splayed against her back, an anchor. His lips teased the dimple on her lower back as he ever so gently started to push the toy in. 

At first, the sensation was odd, but not uncomfortable. Zevran was incredibly gentle and infinitely patient. As she stretched to accommodate the widening of the toy, she started to feel some discomfort. He seemed to notice and stopped pushing. Withdrawing it completely, she felt his fingers dip into her cunt and draw more of her arousal to her tight ring. 

His teeth bit playfully into the flesh of her ass and she let out the breath she’d been holding. “Relax,  _ mi amore _ and it will be much more enjoyable.” Briall did so with effort and she felt the toy slowly push in again. 

She was surprised when the widening stopped and the toy popped into her ass, tightening around the slim neck. The taper prevented it from going in any further and the cool glass rested in her bud. 

“Beautiful Briall,” he whispered appreciatively. It always amazed her how the simple act of him purring her name had become a physical pleasure. “How does it feel?” 

“Big.” She laughed. “Although I know it isn’t really.” 

“It is for you.” He reasoned. “And that is all that matters. Are you comfortable with it or shall I remove it?” 

“It can stay. Will it stay?” she asked, not having considered it before. He gave it a gentle tug and she gasped, though not in pain. 

“It is not going anywhere without assistance.” He promised her with a chuckle. “Move onto your back,  _ mi amore _ and I shall begin to show you the pleasures of this gift.” 

By the Maker, she was ready for that. She was acutely aware of the toy with every movement she made. It wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable, but she wouldn’t call it pleasurable either. Foreign. She rolled onto her back, relishing in the soft furs beneath her. His hands moved under the small of her back and pulled her further down, just over the edge of the pallet. Sliding his hands under her thighs, he slowly pulled her knees apart. 

Zevran hummed with approval. He kissed the inside of her knee, looking up at her through his lashes. “So beautiful spread before me.” He kissed up her thigh slowly. “Glistening cunt ready for me.” He teased her by kissing close to her core, she could feel his hair tickling her skin, then he moved to the other thigh and up to her knee. 

“Zev!” She hooked her leg over his shoulder in an attempt to bring him back to her core. Briall didn’t notice his hand moving until she felt the toy press and twist inside of her. At the same time, his lips captured her clit and he hummed. “Yes!” She gasped, hands twisting in the furs. 

She felt two of his slim fingers slide into her tight heat as he continued to tease her clit, running small circles around it with his tongue. Another gasp tore from her when she felt him press against the toy from inside of her. She whimpered his name again and heard him chuckle in response. 

“You sound less skeptical,  _ mi amore. _ ” Briall tried to respond, but his ministrations made it impossible to form words, only incoherent sounds of pleasure. Instead, she opened her eyes to look down at him, finding his molten amber gaze glued to hers as he lowered his mouth to her again. 

He alternated, curling his fingers up and pulling back, then pressing down and sliding back in along the soft curves to the toy. Zevran wrapped one arm around her leg and squeezed her thigh, using the leverage to keep her steady while she tried to roll her hips to match his motions. 

“Zevran, I’m-” she twisted the sheets in her fists with a gasp “-fuck! I’m coming!” Briall’s back arched off the bed and she shouted out his name, the sharp “Z” echoing off the rock walls. 

With one final lap up and over her clit, just to see her quiver, he kissed his way up her stomach. As she lay on the bed, recovering, he slid his hand to one pale, heaving breast and suckled the peaked nipple gently. 

With a soft moan, her hand moved to thread through his hair. “More,” she said breathlessly. 

“More?” He teased her nipple between thumb and forefinger. 

“More!” she unintentionally shouted it when he bit her nipple at just the right moment. Her eyes flew open to looked down at him. He had that infuriatingly sexy grin on his face. “That was...generous of you.” She was still panting slightly. “Might I pay you back by letting you relax? I’d like to see-I mean really like to see-how this feels riding you.” She bit her lower lip and was surprised to feel a blush coloring her cheeks as if she’d never asked to be on top before. 

“I am yours,  _ tesoro.  _ You may do whatever you wish to me.” Moving the last distance up her body, he kissed her heatedly and then found he couldn’t stop. Feeling her hand slide down his chest, then stomach, he tensed as he waited for her touch. When Zevran felt her hand wrap around him, he thrust his tongue past her lips as he thrust up into her hand. 

He rolled his hips into her hand as she stroked him slowly, adding her own feverish energy into the kiss. With a gasp, he pulled away from her and flopped onto his back. She followed him up, running her fingers through her hair to push it all over her shoulders and down her back. 

“Put one knee here,  _ mi amore _ .” He tapped the space between his slightly spread legs and beside the hip closest to her. “And the other here.” She immediately moved to do as he said, though she gave him a questioning look as she did. 

“It has purpose.” His hands found her hips as she reached beneath her to guide him to her aching cunt. She wanted to sink over him quickly, but his hands forced her to take him in slower so that he could savor the sight, sound, and feel of filling her. 

“What a wonderful trick…” she moaned, rolling her hips as she sank completely over him. 

“No, no,  _ mia dolce _ .” His hands gripped her hips tightly. “This is the trick.” He raised the leg she was straddling, bending at the knee until she felt his thigh pressed against her backside. Her tongue slid over her lower lip as her head fell back, grinding back against his thigh as she rolled her hips. They moaned in unison. Briall at the combination of new and familiar sensations. Zevran at the sight of her pleasure and tickling of her hair. 

Her emerald eyes opened and she looked down at him, raising her hips slowly and then sinking back down over him, grinding against his muscled thigh again. She took one of his hands from her hips and moved it to her breast in a silent request. 

Zevran’s expert fingers massaged the soft, pale globe and teased the pebbled skin around her nipple. In the candle and fairy light, she looked ethereal. Divine. Far too good for the likes of him, yet was also far too selfish to let her go. Especially when she was like this. Flushed and panting, moaning with wanton abandon. 

His other hand left her hips, sliding up her side and squeezing her breast before continuing up to her neck. His hand hooked at the delicate curve of her neck, using some of the leverage to pull her down onto him a little harder. Briall’s eyes would flutter closed each time she sank over him, her soft lips parting in a moan. They would fly open again as she rose back up, chest heaving. 

Abandoning her breast, he pressed his thumb between her slick lips, rolling the pad over her clit. Immediately, she clenched around him and cried out softly. Her long thrusts started to devolve into small, short ones, using most of her energy to roll her hips. He could feel the toy moving against his cock as she took every inch of him while she simultaniously rode against his thigh. 

With another wicked smile, he gripped her hips and stopped her. “Turn around,  _ bella.  _ If you lean forward to grip my ankles and ride me thus, I promise I will make you come undone quickly.” 

She bit her lip with a sharp exhale. “What about you? I want to see you come tonight.” 

“Oh, you will,  _ mi amore.  _ I think I can withstand your release once more before I cannot resist joining you.” Zevran felt her spasm around his cock at his words and his hips involuntarily jerked up into her, his fingers digging into her flesh. “And that will just be the first session.” 

The dark, carnal promise gave her so many thoughts. She raised her hips and got her feet beneath her. Turning, she straddled him again, her calves resting against his torso. Leaning forward, she grasped his ankles and moaned as he rubbed the head of his cock against her clit. With a shift of her hips, she pushed back against him. Briall drank up the long, low moan that came from him when she sheathed him completely. 

She rode him slowly, shifting her body forward and back. “Such a beautiful sight,” Zevran growled, surprising her with a sharp slap on her backside. She let her head fall forward, gasping. She couldn’t help but clench at the spanking, which was perhaps his intention, feeling doubly full. Briall started to ride him faster, gasping and moaning at his occasional slap and his teasing of the plug in between. 

Her pace increased steadily as she drew swiftly nearer to her release. He seemed to know exactly how to manipulate the toy at just the right moments. He was so good, in fact, that her orgasm snuck up on her completely. Her knees squeezed him tightly and he could feel her legs shaking against his torso. She couldn’t even breathe let alone moan or cry out his name. 

Lowering herself to her elbows, she rested her forehead against the furs. He left her to her pleasure, hands gently massaging her ass as she spasmed around him. Finally, she drew in a long gasp. “Fuck,” she murmured, her body tensing occasionally with aftershocks of pleasure. 

“Succinctly put.” Zevran raised his hips, pressing against the back of her cunt just to hear her moan, picturing her perfect teeth biting her lush lower lip. Pushing herself back up, she moved off of him, rolling onto her back with a deep sigh. 

“I’m sorry, I need a moment,” she said breathlessly. 

She felt the furs shift and he moved to lounge beside her. “No need for apologies. You are experiencing new and intense sensations and I am a patient man. You have always given at least as much as you take.” 

She turned her head to look up at him, his head propped up on his hand so that he could look down at her. His cheeks were also flushed and he was smiling the devilish smile. Reaching up idly, Briall traced the curving tattoos on the side of his face. His fingers, in return, lazily drew circles around her navel. She didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with words while she recovered and continued to explore. Her hand brushed down his chest and taut stomach. The very tips of her fingers feathered down his stiff cock, still slick with her release. 

He closed his eyes and sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Please,  _ tesoro _ , I cannot withstand your touch if I am to come with you. Diminishing arousal is  _ not _ an issue I have with you, vixen. If you insist on continuing to tease my cock, I will spill into your hand.” He opened his eyes, leaning down to kiss her forehead, temple, cheek then finally the tip of her nose. “I would very much like to spill in my wife’s perfect, tight, hot cunt on our wedding night.  _ While _ she is coming around me.” Zevran’s voice was low and sultry, his breath warm against her lips. 

“Until she is ready, I must refrain from thinking about her beauty or I will surely lose myself.” He continued, brushing his nose against hers. “Her heaving breasts. The way she quivers when I fill her. And how she says my name in fits of pas-”

“ _ Cazzo, _ I’m ready! Right now.” She slid her hand around the back of his neck to pull him down the scant inch to her lips. With his knees on one side of her, he blanketed her torso. Zevran kept her consumed with his kiss while he drew her right leg over his right shoulder and her left around his right hip. Not extravagant but also something they hadn’t tried before. Most importantly, it let him see her face every moment. 

He broke the kiss to press his forehead against her as he slid into her again. It was always like the first time with her. All-consuming sensations that made his heart race and emotion swell in his chest. Her warm, breathy moan washed against his lips, tingling still from their kiss. 

Zevran tried and failed at maintaining a leisurely, love-making pace. Once he was inside of her, he found her abandon contagious. Nothing mattered but bringing her pleasure and finding his own. He angled his hips slightly in an attempt to continue to press against the toy she wore, but the closer he got to his release, the less they both seemed to care.

He repositioned his hands on either side of her head and against her shoulders. When he pushed into her, it prevented her from sliding away from him. The halo of her hair, even in the dim light, set her aflame like a goddess. Zevran could see every flash of pleasure, every time her lips parted for a moan or a cry. The way that she writhed beneath him made his blood burn. 

It was all-consuming. It was her. Everything was her. All of it. All of him. Just... _ her. _ Nothing in his life had meant anything until Briall and then suddenly she was everything to him. 

Zevran had to tell her. It all came out in a rush of Antivan, low and lilting. Her eyes locked to his as he increased his pace until the sounds of flesh crashing against flesh echoed off the walls. Her breasts rocked between them and the leg around his waist tightened. He knew she didn’t yet understand the words he spoke, but the tears in her eyes told him that she understood what he was trying to say. 

Her hands gripped his upper arms, knuckles white, and hands shaking. “Zevran.” It started out as a whisper among her fevered pants. 

“ _ Si, mi amore _ ,” he urged, rocking into her. “Tell me. I will do anything for you.” He was there already, trying to hold back his burning release until she was ready. 

“Just...don’t stop.” She bit her lip with a moan. “You’re so deep and it feels so good.” The last word was drawn out with a whimper. “Zevran-” she gasped as he pressed into her harder, rolling his hips to tease that spot that forced the most delightful sounds from her. “Yes, I’m-” Briall’s whole body tensed and for a moment she was suspended in time. 

Zevran’s amber eyes burned into her with a look that she would surely never forget. This time when she came, it didn’t feel so much like falling as it did  _ joining _ . Like she was melding into him. He must have felt it too as his reaction to her release was simultaneous. His chin lowered to his chest and he looked at her through his dark lashes, her name falling from his lips in an affirmation of so many unspoken things. 

He slid her leg down his arm to join the other and lowered himself to his elbows, sliding his arms under and around her shivering form. Briall could feel him buried so incredibly deep inside of her, cock twitching as he spilled. The pleasure curled her toes and her nails raked down his back. Burying her face in his neck, she could smell nothing but him. Spice and leather and sweat from their coupling. 

Briall closed her eyes to focus on his voice as he chanted her name over and over in her ear. Occasionally, he would withdraw and hilt himself again with a sharp thrust, making her gasp as every nerve ending in her body flared with renewed pleasure. 

As if he suddenly remembered something he’d forgotten, he lifted his head and kissed her. It didn’t have the furious passion that had engulfed them just moments before. It was lazy and sweet, but no less needy. As he withdrew his softening cock, his kisses moved over her face. Feather-light and loving with whispered words in between. 

She rolled her hips to lay flat beneath him, her foot sliding down his calf as their legs tangled together. Finally, he raised his head to look down at her. 

“I do not know why I thought that nothing would really change by marrying you. I simply thought that you would just be mine on paper as well. But, something has changed. Something very-” Zevran’s brows furrowed and his eyes wandered her face while he searched for the right word. The tips of her fingers traced his tattoo again and she smiled, waiting patiently for him to find it. 

“Profound. Fundamental.  _ Sorprendente _ .” He kissed the tip of her nose. “You are, in a very real sense...mine. But, I do not own you. You have given yourself to me. You, Briall,  _ amore della mia vita _ , are the only person to have given me anything-and in fact-everything. Including who I am today.” 

“You’re going to make me cry,” Briall whispered, blinking back tears. 

“Then I shall hold you as you do because I cannot stop myself from saying the words,” he whispered back at her. 

She smiled with a soft sniffle and tightened her arms around him, holding him tightly. “I love you too.” Briall threaded her fingers through his still-damp hair and pulled him down for a slow, loving kiss. Briall wanted him to know that she felt the same, but didn’t feel that she could do so quite as eloquently as he had. 

Briall’s hand moved up and down his back idly. “Shall we go for another swim? I’m rather sweaty and...slippery.” 

Chuckling, Zevran kissed along the slim column of her neck. “Then let us get you clean, so that I can get you incredibly wet again.” 

()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()o()

Briall sat between Zevran’s legs, her own hanging over the ledge into the basin. The water came up to their chests. The toy had been removed, carefully, and they had spent some time cleaning each other up with slow, loving motions. They sat quietly, Zevran holding her tight against him. They were both silent until Briall let out a long, wide yawn. 

“I think it is time to take you to bed. For sleep.” Zevran murmured against her temple before laying a soft kiss on her skin. “And then for other, wonderful things in the morning.” 

Tilting her head back and rolling it against his shoulder, she looked up at him from the corner of her eye. “That sounds fantastic.” 

Now that they were no longer so energetic, Briall shivered slightly as they walked out of the water. The rivulets of water that slid down Zevran’s golden skin caught her eye. She watched them follow the lines of his muscles as he moved ahead of her. That certainly took the chill off. 

Reverently, he dried her off with a fluffy towel and then pulled back the furs for her to slip beneath. Joining her, he immediately pulled her tight against him. Briall felt him bury his face in her hair, inhaling deeply. With a smile, she reached behind her to stroke his cheek. “Goodnight,  il mio amante d'oro.”

“You have been hiding things from me, I think. Where have you learned all of this Antivan?” He asked curiously. 

“I found a tutor in Denerim. I have been saving it all for tonight to surprise you. You’ve heard pretty much the entirety of what I’ve learned so far. He wanted to teach me common phrases, but I insisted on more...mmm...romantic phrases.” Briall laughed softly, closing her eyes and snuggling back against him. 

He murmured softly into her hair, voice low and sleepy. “You have certainly surprised me. As you always do,  _ mi amore.  _ As you always do.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> meraviglioso=wonderful   
> mio dolce=my sweet  
> tesoro=endearment, treasure  
> mi amore=endearment, my love/heart  
> cazzo=fuck/shit/hell  
> Sto per venire=I’m coming  
> sorprendente=amazing  
> amore della mia vita=love of my life  
> il mio amante d'oro=my golden lover
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! I would love to hear what you thought! I had planned on this being the last chapter but the smut just got away from me! Hopefully, it's worth it and you'll all get another chapter out of it, probably also containing at least a small amount of smut!
> 
> <3 Jacks

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read my smut and fluff! I hope you enjoyed it and I would love to hear from you if you did! 
> 
> You can also find me on Tumblr as jacklyn-flynn. I do lots of DA related stuff, a headcanan du jour and WIP updates. Lots of fun stuff to be seen!
> 
> With love! <3 Jack


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